The children at Heathery Knowe PS and Nursery have shown incredible resilience and adaptability as they have moved into a remote learning environment, showing positivity and commitment to learning. I know this is underpinned by the contribution made by parents and carers to support learning, organise devices and balance employment, family life and the demands of remote learning. Thank you to parents, pupils and staff for creating a positive environment for children’s learning.
PTC Thank you
The PTC continue to support the school in any way they can and this is very much appreciated by the school community. The PTC have agreed to part fund the purchase of webcams and microphones for every classroom in school. There have been issues with wi-fi and sound quality in some recordings, along with glitches and lag time in live meets. The purchase of the webcams allow all teachers to use their desktop computer without the need for wi-fi. This will make an enormous difference to the quality of remote learning and teaching.
Fundraising through PTC events throughout the year means that they are able to contribute so generously to the school. Thank you!
Google Classroom
During January 2021, Google Classrooms will be used for setting tasks and communicating with pupils who are learning from home.
Tasks set for pupils require them to engage in new and progressive learning experiences. Staff will engage with learners using a range of live and recorded sessions. They will complete learning activities independently and engage in consolidation activities.
Consistent Approach
Across Heathery Knowe Primary School, all children will engage in:
- Registration and check in
- ‘Big Maths’ (mental maths)
- Literacy (including direct teaching)
- Numeracy (including direct teaching)
- Reading for Enjoyment: Story time
- Interdisciplinary Learning Activities
- Live interactive pastoral check in
- Leadership Team STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) challenges or Expressive Arts challenges
Tasks and plans for the day will be posted by 9am each week day.
Individualised Approach
The learning activities above will be offered to all pupils at all stages of the school. Teachers know their learners and families well and are best placed to make decisions about the most suitable teaching approaches and resources for each class / group. Some classes may have more pre-recorded teaching whilst others have more live teaching time. Similarly, some teachers will make greater use of interactive whiteboards (jamboards) and others will adopt a more direct teaching approach. This replicates normal school practice. Teachers adapt teaching and learning approaches to suit the needs of the learners and continue to do this in a remote learning environment.
Supporting Pupils
Teachers will be recording lessons and engaging in live teaching sessions during the school day however they will still be available for questions/clarification. We ask that you be patient and we will aim to answer questions as quickly as possible. If you have an urgent learning query, a member of the Senior Leadership Team is available in school every day.
If you have a computer related query, Mrs McGee and Miss Wharton are available by contacting the school.
On a Friday afternoon, a task will be set by a member of the SLT to allow teachers planning time and marking of activities.
Live Interactions
This week all children were invited to live interactions with the other children in the class and the staff who work with them. The aim of these sessions is to promote positive health and wellbeing through a live check in. Teachers use this opportunity to speak with the class.
This is done through Google Meet within Google Classroom as it is a secure way of ensuring only children with access to the classroom can join the meeting. The link is made available around 5 minutes before the meeting starts. Following SLC guidance, the sessions are always recorded to safeguard all children and staff. The recordings are stored on the school system only and are not shared with others.
Daily live check in times for each class are as follows:
Room 1 – 10am
Room 2 – 11am
Room 3 – 1.30pm
Room 4 – 1.30pm
Room 5 – 12 noon
Room 6 – 12 noon
Room 7 – 11.30am
Room 8 – 1.30pm
Room 9 – 2.30pm
Room 10 – 1.30pm
Promoting Literacy
Heathery Knowe PS is a literacy loving school and we recognise the importance of developing children’s literacy and the impact this has on their overall learning experience.
Each day I will read a story most suited to P1-3 learners although all are welcome to attend. This session will be at 9.15am daily. A recorded version will also be available for children who cannot attend the live session.
Mrs French will read a novel most suited to P4-7 learners. This will always be pre-recorded so that children do not miss a chapter if they cannot attend a session.
Primary One Enrolment
Children starting school in August 2021 are required to register for school by Friday 22nd January using the link below:
We have 14 learners registered so far and look forward to video calls with the families next week.
If you are considering deferring your child’s entry to school, please contact the school and speak with Mrs McGee, Mrs Kerr or Miss Harper as soon as possible.
Thank you for your continued support
Kind regards
Kirsty Duff
