I’m sure you will all be aware that the covid situation in school at the moment is still providing challenges for us all as a community. We currently have positive cases in nearly all classes and two year groups have ongoing outbreaks and are operating as separate bubbles from the rest of the school (although I am hopeful that we can put an end to this on Monday). What has been amazing, is how supportive you have all been as parents particularly when we have had to ask for daily lateral flow testing. Interestingly, the most common symptoms we are seeing in our children are tummy aches, upset tummies and runny noses. If you are in any doubt at all, I would recommend getting a PCR test as we have had children who have not shown up as positive on a lateral flow and have subsequently tested positive with a PCR- this was also the case when I had covid.
Reading stories is our favourite time of the day at The Greetland Academy. Next week is National Storytelling Week and we will be marking this by sharing videos of the staff across our Trust schools reading popular stories. Watch out for some of these on Seesaw which would make a lovely option for a bedtime story. By the end of next week you will also receive information about our World Book Day celebrations this year which will be taking a slightly different format (the usual dressing up day will still take place but on Wednesday 2nd of March).
Our EMHP has started her work in school this week. Here is a little introduction that she wrote for the children:
I’m Steph and I am a Trainee Educational Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) in the Calderdale Mental Health Support Team (MHST). My team is part of the Open Minds Partnership and helps children and young people to improve their mental and emotional health.
I’m trained in a special type of intervention based on evidence of what works best for children and their parents and carers called Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
I might work with you, or your family, for a short period of time if you have been feeling very sad or worried for a while. I can also help by working with adults at your school to think about other types of support that might help you. Another part of my job is looking at ways that The Greetland Academy can help everyone at your school with their mental health.
If you feel that the Mental Health Support team could help you or your family, please speak to Miss Simpson.
I’m really looking forward to working with your lovely school and getting to know you more!
We have several school trips this term as we move ever closer to normality. In a couple of weeks’ time, I will be visiting Chester Zoo with our Year 6 children and I cannot wait! Our Year 5 children are visiting Bankfield Museum to look at the art work of Kate Lycett, who they have been studying in their art lessons and I’ve heard a rumour that Mrs Boddis has her email address and so we may even try and write to her to ask her to pay us a visit! Year 4 have their residential to Nell Bank shortly and I know the children (and staff) are already really excited about this trip. We are also taking a large team of children to Leeds who have qualified for the West Yorkshire Cross Country finals.
Thank you to all the parents who completed Miss Whiteley’s clubs survey. We have loved reading your ideas and getting feedback on what we already provide. Miss Whiteley will have a think about what we can do moving forward but I did want to mention one point that came up that we fully appreciate and want to address. It was raised that when the letters come out, some parents don’t get to see them until later on in the day or evening due to commitments and then by that point, the club is already booked up. From now on, when we send out a club letter, we will not open the booking straight away and will include a time when the booking will open on the letter. Hopefully, this will make the system as fair as possible although we do have limits on the capacity of clubs and will have to operate a first come first served process still.
Wishing you all a lovely weekend
Mrs Crowther