Keeping safe online
Working from home, we will all make greater use of computers and online resources.
Some Key Advice for St Helena Students whilst working from home:
- Be kind online – when using group chats or social networking sites be mindful of what yousay and how you say it.
- Keep your personal details private – if you have not met the person then do not share anyinformation, they could be a fake using this crisis as an opportunity.
- Think before you post, send or forward – there are Coronavirus scams out there, do not allowyourself or your family to fall victim.
- Do not share your password with others – it can be frustrating not getting into a document oran online resource, but passwords are there for a reason.
- Ask your teacher if you are having an access issue.
- Be careful who you webcam/FaceTime with and if you are asked, always let a trusted adultknow.
- Do not open an attachment unless you are 100% sure it is safe and from a trusted source –some attachments are malware designed to corrupt your device.
- Tell a trusted adult if anything happens online that worries or upsets you.Here are some links to further guidance about keeping safe online:
- Thinkyouknow (advice from the National Crime Agency to stay safe online)
- Internet matters(support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online)
- Parent info (support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online)
- LGfL(support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online)
- Net-aware (support for parents and carers from the NSPCC
Reading
Reading is an important life skill and one that can be developed anywhere, at school or at home.
Send your book reviews to our librarian Mr Callegari at [email protected] Your book review should cover:
- What was the most interesting section of the book (beginning, middle or the end) and why?
- Describe which of the characters were well written, including their personalities.
- What emotions did you feel reading it?
- Would you recommend this book, what type of genre is it?
- Try to sell the book in one sentence or a few stand alone words.
You can access our whole school audiobook, read by staff – Holes by Louis Sachar. A pdf copy of thebook is also provided for those who want to read along!
All Essex libraries are now closed until further notice. Amazon, local bookshops and other onlineretailers may still deliver real books.
Digital books can be purchased and read online using Kindle online or Google Books.
If you have a library card you can download digital books, comics and magazines for free.
Please encourage your child to read. Talk to them about what they have read. Let them know what you are reading or have read.
Audible have made a library of audiobooks available for free here
The Internet Archive have made a huge range of books available!
First News are making their wonderful newspaper available online for free
The Education Endowment Foundation: 7 Top Tips for Supporting Reading At Home
Create a routine
School with its timetables and rules, like the world of work, gives us the security of a routine. With staffonline at normal lesson times, this is the best time to get work done and to ask for help if you need it.Breaks and lunches will be at the same time for all students. This is to allow brothers and sisters indifferent year groups to have a break together and a longer break and lunchtime will allow a decentbreak from the screen.
9.10 a.m. – 11.00 a.m. – Session One
11.00 a.m. – 11.30 a.m. – Break
11.30 a.m. – 1.20 p.m. – Session Two
1.20 p.m. – 2.05 p.m. – Lunch
2.05 p.m. – 3.00 p.m. – Session Three
We know that some students will only have access to IT at certain times during the day but would ask that work is completed by the end of the day that it is set. Do let teachers know if there are any problems with this.
Google Meet and Live lessons
Live lessons will include screen sharing and audio but not video and students will need to have joined the lessonin the first 10 minutes or they will not be able to access the lesson live. Guidance on how to join a live lesson is available HERE. Our expectations for behaviour during live lessons are outlined HERE. Students who don’t meetour expectations risk being removed from lessons and from Google Classroom. If you have a question or concernabout a live lesson please do not join the lesson. Instead, please contact [email protected] or [email protected]
Contact us
Do contact us if you have any questions about teaching and learning, work, Google Classroom, Class Charts and online access using this dedicated email address:
Top Tips for Students
When it feels like the world around us is out of control it can make you feel very ‘wobbly’. These are some top tips about what YOU can do for yourself that may help. We all need to try and focus on the stuff that we have some control over and anything else we need to just let go…
Things I can control:
- What I spend my time doing when I’m not at school
- Finding ways to keep myself occupied
- What I watch on social media
- Turning off the news
- Staying Positive
- Concentrating on today
Things I can’t control ( I need to let go of these)
- When schools are going to re-open
- What grades I’m going to be given
- What other people post on social media
- Predicting what is going to happen
- How other people are coping
Breathing Techniques can really help: Inhale for 4 – hold it for 5 – exhale for 6. End every day by thinking about 3 good things or 3 things you are thankful for.
For more advice and guidance about wellbeing we recommend these weekly videos (the ones with the turquoise background) from OM: LINK
There are loads more great resources to support in developing mental fitness, available HERE.
Contact us
Google Classroom is the main way that students will be able to access work set by their teachers. Access it here:
For more information on how Google Classroom works, click HERE.
Class Charts is where students and parents will be able to see credits awarded by teachers. Lots of credits suggest your child is working hard and doing what is expected of them. Access it here:
If your child doesn’t have their access code, please use this email address and we will get the code to you as soon as possible. Your child may need other login details and passwords to access a range of online resources shared by staff. Again, please use this email address if you have any problems:
We know that we will not be able to give feedback in the same ways we would if our students were still working in books and regularly handing these in. Many online resources that teachers will share will give students feedback on the answers they give. Teachers will also include clear guidance and success criteria with tasks set so that students can self-assess their work. We are asking teachers to give more credits and more feedback. Just as in school we won’t be able to give written feedback on every piece of work but will select the most important pieces of work for detailed feedback. Students should submit work via Google Classroom or email so teachers can issue credits for all work completed. Students completing work on paper should take a picture of their work and submit via Google Classroom or email.
If you have completed an amazing piece of work or project and want to share your success, please take a picture and email your class teacher or [email protected] We’ll share great examples of the work our students are doing on our school social media accounts and in Aspire, Believe, Achieve.
The Department for Education has produced a list of online resources to support home study for English, Maths, Science, PE. There are also resources that are useful for wellbeing and students with SEND.
BBC BItesize Daily is a resource from the BBC available by clicking the link below. There will be plenty of work set on Google Classroom but should you wish to, you can access the programmes for yourself here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/group/p089nk5f
We continue to review the online lessons being produced by the National Academy and will make these available to students where they fit well with the work that your child is doing this term. The advice for parents and students who wish to make use of these lessons is to start at lesson one and follow them in sequence. For students who complete all work set, asking for more work, independent revision and accessing the BBC Bitesize website are recommended:
Please keep in touch by using the [email protected] email, check the school website for updates, particularly the Home Study Guidance section and follow our school Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts.
