Dear Parents and Guardians

I hope that you are all safe and well during this current lockdown.

In case you didn’t hear the news from the Ministry of Education at the weekend, all schools are now learning online until Monday 26th July. They have also indicated that there is likely to be a phased return to the campus for different year groups. This is a very difficult time for everyone as the concern about COVID spreading is on everyone's minds.

The school campus might be closed but I hear everyday about the great work that is happening in lessons. Wellbeing and mental health should not be far from our everyday thoughts. This is a very important part of all of our lives at the moment, when we are all working from home, and while the virus numbers are high. Please encourage your children to talk to you about how they are feeling. We have counselors at the school who can help if needed. Both sections of the school have been providing reminders and forums for students to be able to talk.

Secondary students have been submitting photographs and images under the title “what lockdown means to them”. The images that I have seen have been very good and thought provoking and really show how different people have adapted in different ways to this new normal. We will publish the successful images soon through our social media channels.

After many episodes of online learning, we now have experience about how these can be more effective, so here are some reminders

• Cameras - Out of respect for the teachers and others in the lesson, cameras should always be on. It is much easier to get feedback when cameras are on. This helps the lesson to be better.
• Microphone - in contrast to the camera section above, microphones can normally be off, so that background noise is reduced. Microphones should be used when they need to be in discussions or to ask questions.
• Attendance - Some students are still not attending all their lessons. To keep a high standard of education, students need to attend all their lessons. Missing lessons leads to not completing all the content for a subject and that can put a child behind in their studies. Please support the school by encouraging your child to attend all lessons.

Our core RECIPE values are perhaps more important now than they have ever been. The simple examples above show RESPECT in action when students and teachers follow common agreements during online lessons. RESPECT is also the foundation of the SoPs that we are all working with, to protect each other. The school is aiming for EXCELLENCE in the online lessons, and the PASSION of the teachers for education and learning is coming out everyday.