Looking after your mental health during COVID19 – v1.2

Distance Learning – Don’t Panic!

We are all about to embark on something very new and very daunting. You have not opted to home educate your child, as some parents do, so many of will not have the set-up and resources to replicate school at home – and we do not expect  you to replicate school! Children work well in school, being taught, being led, bouncing ideas off each other; it will be impossible for them to do this at home and you mustn’t feel bad if what you try to do doesn’t work. Within school, teachers and children develop a very special respect for each other and this is how we get the best out of them. I know from having my own children that it can be a very different story at home when it comes to school work!  You must remember though, when you try and get them to do their homework usually, they have already done 6 hours work in school and are bound to be more tired and reluctant.

As well as you being thrown in at the deep end with this, so have the teachers. They have never had to provide learning in this manner before. They are trying to add resources and activities to the website BUT you don’t have to do it all! Some families will be in a position to do more, some less. You will not be judged on this. The teachers and TAs are also working in school on rotation to care for the children whose parents are vital in the covid-19 response. Some are very anxious and worried about doing this and the risk to their own families so I want to thank you for all your efforts to keep your children at home at this time and for the lovely supportive messages we have had send in to school.

If it works for your family to have other learning experiences such as art, music, cooking, sewing, board games, craft, sport or gardening then definitely do these! This time could be a rare chance in our busy lives to spend a lot of time with our children doing things we never have time to do.  We would love to hear from you and see what you’re up to, so please email photos or write to us at the school email addresses. We will all miss the children so much and are heartbroken that this is the way the year has potentially ended.

Good luck – we’re only a dojo away, so keep in touch!