Patcham Infant School & Nursery Class

To our wonderful Patcham Infant and Nursery Class Community

As week 2 of school lockdown draws to a close, I wanted to thank you once again for staying together in your homes to support critical workers and in helping our community to reduce the spread of COVID-19. In such a short space of time our lives have changed dramatically, and we are facing huge challenges with health and safety (physical and mental) being the utmost priority and concern for everyone; ourselves, our families and loved ones, friends, neighbours and community.....the list goes on. I do hope you have managed to settle into a routine that is working for your household.

We have again been fortunate to have another dry and bright week with opportunities to open the windows for fresh air, do daily exercise and just watch and notice the world go by. Having daylight for more hours has also been very welcome. School staff have been thinking of you all and are missing you; being in school without the buzz, fun and energy of your amazing children makes our school a hollow place and, this week, I have often visualised us all being together in school full of smiles, happiness and laughter.

I hope you have managed to access opportunities to support your child with some learning activities and I would like to thank teachers for creating the web pages to support you with this. However, I am acutely aware of the many difficulties’ families may be facing at the moment: health worries, financial issues, lack of suitable space, children’s reluctance to engage, pressures of everyone being at home, and many more. Staff here share the same pressures with our own families and completely understand and appreciate the position you may find yourselves in at the moment. Home-learning is neither the same as school learning nor is it the same as home-schooling (you didn’t make the choice to home educate). With that in mind I would like to assure you that whatever learning is happening in your household, I know you are doing all that you can in these new and challenging circumstances, balancing life and everything in between. Allow yourself small victories and give yourself credit on a daily basis for accomplishments you have achieved; be your best cheerleader!

Teachers are currently sourcing websites and activities that will relate to the Easter holidays and we invite you to take part in it. Please don’t feel you have to fill your day with it, they are only suggestions - some days it just won’t happen and that’s OK. On the school website we have created a parent’s page which provides you with links to advice and services that may be of some use over the coming weeks. https://patcham.sites.schooljotter2.com/parents/resources/parents-page

We will keep adding to this as we receive more. Mrs Erikson has also created some resources that may help children break down their day into manageable chunks. https://patcham.sites.schooljotter2.com/parents/resources/resources-1

I hope you all have a restful weekend with one another; please be mindful of lockdown procedures and social distancing in what looks like a warm weekend ahead and follow the wise words of Buzz Lightyear “The important thing is that we stick together!” With love

Chris Taylor

#StayHomeSavesLives