Coronavirus – an update
Today, the Department for Education has sent another email to schools with updated advice to support schools in dealing with coronavirus and any concerns around this.
They have set up a helpline to answer questions about COVID-19 related to education. Staff, parents and young people can contact the helpline as follows:
- Phone: 0800 046 8687
- Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk
- Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday)
The advice remains that no school should close in response to a suspected (or confirmed) COVID-19 case unless directed to do so by Public Health England. We will continue to follow this advice.
The email also stresses the importance of hygiene: personal hygiene is the most important way we can tackle COVID-19. We’ve done lots in school to promote this message – please do the same at home. For example, before you eat this evening, make sure your child washes their hands for at least 20 seconds.
Awesome orienteering
We entered two teams in the Leeds Schools Sports Partnership orienteering competition at Wetherby High School this week. Despite the wet, cold and muddy conditions, the children performed brilliantly!
We have continued using our orienteering skills since our whole school introduction in September 2018. If you would like to get involved in this sport, contacting The Airienteers (who helped organise the event) is a great place to start.
Times Table Rock Stars
When it comes to times tables, speed and accuracy are important – the more your child practises, the more likely they are to remember the trickier tables facts. Times Table Rock Stars is a fun and challenging programme designed to help children master times tables. Children have already enjoyed practising at school. Now, let’s continue our rock star careers at home…
Logging in to Times Tables Rock Stars:
- Type ttrockstars.com into your web browser.
- On the website, click the following: Login > School > Student
- Enter our school’s postcode and our school’s name will show up below. Click on it.
- Enter the username and password that has been provided with this letter and may also have been written in the homework book.
More information on Times Table Rock Stars can be found here.
COVID-19 Update
Latest advice from the NHS is that you should call 111 if you’ve been to the following countries recently. If this applies to your child, please do also contact school to tell us.
Call 111 now if you’ve been:
- to Hubei province in China in the last 14 days
- to Iran, areas of northern Italy in lockdown or “special care zone” areas in South Korea since 19 February
- to other parts of mainland China or South Korea, Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau in the last 14 days and have a cough, high temperature or shortness of breath
- to other parts of northern Italy (anywhere north of Pisa, Florence and Rimini), Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos or Myanmar since 19 February and have a cough, high temperature or shortness of breath
- in close contact with someone with confirmed coronavirus
Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Call 111, stay indoors and avoid close contact with other people.
The link to the NHS page is:
Are you interested in losing weight? Would you like to improve your family’s health?
If so, and you feel that you and your child would benefit from becoming a healthier weight, you might be eligible to take part in an interesting study.
Attendance matters
Our whole-school attendance figure up until February half-term is 96.3%.
Here are the figures for each class:
- F2L: 95.2%
- F2M: 97.0% Second highest – fab!
- 1K: 95.6%
- 1,2V: 96.3%
- 2KN: 96.8% Good stuff – keep it up.
- 3,4N: 96.0%
- 3,4C: 97.1% The best in school – well done!
- 3,4E: 96.3%
- 5,6OB: 95.9%
- 5,6M: 96.6% Good stuff – keep it up.
- 5,6S: 96.3%
Let’s aim for the whole-school average to be even higher by Easter!
If you’d like to know the up-to-date attendance score for your child, please ask at the office.
School will be open
School will be open today as normal.
The roads are currently bad, so take your time travelling to school safely.
The forecast shows an improving picture, with rain later, and dry this afternoon; temperatures are above freezing.
Is your child in Year 4?
The government is introducing a new assessment for Year 4 pupils. In June, each child in Year 4 is set to complete an online multiplication tables check (MTC). Read more about this new assessment.
There will be 25 questions covering the full range of facts children are expected to know, which means questions going up to 12 x 12. However, there’s slightly more weighting towards multiplication facts involving 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 due to these being the most difficult to learn. For example, there will be between 2 and 4 questions involving multiplying by 6.
For each question, children are presented with a multiplication fact and an empty box. This may be written as __ x 6 or as 6 x __ .
If you’d like to practise at home, our own website has lots of spreadsheets you can download.
There are also lots of websites that you can use. This one is very similar to the MTC. It’s possible to alter the settings on this website to focus on particular times tables.
Another exciting way to practise times tables is through the ‘Times Tables Rockstars’ website. Every child has their own individual login details that enables them to access their account at school and at home. Feedback so far is that this is proving an enjoyable way to practise times tables facts at home!
Sport Relief – The Big Summit Sofa Challenge Friday 06 March
We are very excited to announce that Scholes (Elmet) Primary School will be the starting point of the BBC’s Big Summit Sofa Challenge on Friday 06 March.
Harry Gration, Amy Garcia and Paul Hudson from BBC Look North will join in with Wake Up Shake Up as their warm-up before they set off at 10am. They will then head towards Barwick, pulling and pushing their red sofa 100 miles, incorporating some of Yorkshire’s biggest climbs. We will be making banners, flags and as much noise as we can to create an amazing send off for the celebrity team.
It would be amazing if we were able to start this challenge off with a generous donation and so we are inviting the children to come to school in their sports kit, in exchange for a £1 contribution.
The BBC television cameras will also be in school to film us and talk to as many people as they can – some may even feature on the news that night.
They have asked that we encourage as many parents, family and friends to stay after they have dropped children off in the morning, so please feel free to show your support and join in with the fun!
Thank you in anticipation of your support.
Staying safe online – guides for parents/carers
Today is Safer Internet Day. What can you do at home to make sure your child is safe online?
The e-Safety Office has produced twelve guides for parents, covering a range of topics including app safety, YouTube, cyberbullying and selfies. Check them out.