Dear Parent/Carer,
We are writing to make you aware of upcoming changes to further improve distance learning provided for our pupils.
Collective Worship
From Monday 18th January, and each following Monday, we will be hosting a live Collective Worship for children in Key Stage 2. This will take place from 11.00am to 11.30am. A link to the assembly will be made available to the children in Microsoft Teams in the form of an assignment.
The last 10 minutes of the collective worship will be dedicated to answering any questions you may have using the live Q&A function.
You will not be able to activate your camera or microphone during the collective worship, but you can ask questions by typing them. Your questions remain private and a member of the Senior Management Team will provide you with a response. For general questions, we may provide a verbal response over video.
A video guide on how to participate will be made available later this week. A recording of the collective worship will also be made available to children in Foundation Phase on j2e in a shared folder called 'Collective Worship’ for pupils and parents to view each week at a time suitable to them.
Story Time for Foundation Phase
From 18th January, teachers in Foundation Phase will record themselves reading stories and these videos will be uploaded to j2e. Recordings will be made available in a shared folder called 'Story Time'. Teachers will upload a new story every week for children to listen to as part of their home learning.
Learning Conversations in Foundation Phase
Please note that children are encouraged to engage in learning conversations with their teacher on j2e. They can engage in conversation by leaving text or voice messages for their teacher. Please see the video guide below for more information.
Virtual Playground
Last week in Key Stage 2 we launched the 'Virtual Playground' on Flipgrid. By clicking the 'Flipgrid' tab on Microsoft Teams, the children can leave video messages for their friends and share their best work. This will promote pupil well-being and that the children enjoy being able to see one another on video. The children can also leave comments on the videos that their classmates have submitted. This important feature will allow the children to engage in peer-assessment as the weeks progress. Children will be provided with a link to different Flipgrid topics in the form of an assignment on Microsoft Teams. Children will be asked to upload their video response to the topic and will be expected to engage in peer marking and feedback. This is monitored by staff. Videos or comments will not appear on the grid until they have been approved.
If children do not feel comfortable being on camera, they have the option of recording their response with the camera turned off.
Although some children may be unable to upload videos due to technical difficulties, they will still be able to participate by commenting. We simply ask that you try your best to participate in some way.
Immersive Reader
The Immersive Reader can be used in Teams assignments to help your child read work set by their class teacher. It will also read the text aloud to your child. Please make sure you watch the video below for more information.
Assignments in Key Stage 2 will need to be completed by returning a Word, PowerPoint of Excel document. A response on Flipgrid may also be required. Attaching photos to assignments is optional and is not an expectation. However, for those who wish to provide photos of their work to their class teacher, a guide has been provided above.
To provide parents and carers with as much support as possible at this difficult time, we have created video guides to help your child get the most out of their home learning.
Please see the following help videos to assist you in using our home learning platforms:
Foundation Phase
Contacting the class teacher on j2e - https://shorts.flipgrid.com/watch/15358017130463652
Accessing Story Time - https://shorts.flipgrid.com/watch/15358052630266293
Finding home learning websites on j2e - https://shorts.flipgrid.com/watch/15358197533508086
Accessing home learning activities on j2homework - https://shorts.flipgrid.com/watch/15358381250576985
Engaging in learning conversations on j2e - https://shorts.flipgrid.com/watch/15358462678532737
Key Stage 2
How to attach a photo to an assignment – https://shorts.flipgrid.com/watch/15328570454573357
How to contact your class teacher – https://shorts.flipgrid.com/watch/15346859798692562
How to insert a picture on PowerPoint – https://shorts.flipgrid.com/watch/15346994364023516
How to access the Virtual Playground – https://shorts.flipgrid.com/watch/15347745939260174
How to write a comment on Flipgrid – https://shorts.flipgrid.com/watch/15348281750586201
How to use the Immersive Reader in MS Teams - https://shorts.flipgrid.com/watch/15348090902676286
We hope these videos help you,
Take care and stay safe.