Welcome Back to the Summer Term!15 April 2020 (by admin) |
15th April 2020
Dear Students,
Welcome back to the start of the Summer term. I hope, in the circumstances, you have had an enjoyable Easter holiday?
We do appreciate that the Lockdown situation can make home life different than before. Everyone at school is here to help and support, so if you need a chat, please be in touch with one of us. Have a look on the school website under the 'Students' tab for links to all sorts of help and support. It is perfectly normal for everyone to have a wobble or some down days and that is when we are here to listen if you need.
We wanted to clarify for you the expectations for remote learning:
1. Do not worry about 'falling behind'; all children across the country are in the same boat. You will never be penalised for the time we have missed, and plans will be in place for how we move forward once we return to school.
2. It is important to understand that every household will be facing different challenges (including those of your teachers), so we can not expect the same interaction with remote learning from everyone - and we don't. You can only do what is 'doable' in your situation. Be mindful of only contacting teachers during school hours.
3. Teachers have been asked to set work for you to do. It is not compulsory for you to complete everything as we know this may not be possible for all students, but this is where you have to develop your independent learning skills and select what is achievable for you to do. If you are not sure or feeling overwhelmed, please communicate with one of your teachers and talk through your concerns.
4. We have asked teachers not to set rigid deadlines for any work (as we understand you will all have different circumstances at home). Unfortunately, SMH will not let you set work without adding a deadline date, so tasks will have them - they are NOT set in stone. Again, communicate with teachers if you are unsure.
5. Remote learning is an imperfect process, and there will be frustrations and difficulties, but these will continue to be 'ironed-out' as we keep moving forward. The most important piece of advice is for you to be in touch with teachers to talk things through if you are worried about anything.
Finally, understand that these are extraordinary times and things will be different, so be kind to yourself and don't compare yourself to others; find your balance and rhythm and use our support when you need it.
Wishing you all the very best,
Chetwynde