Update from Mr Nelson - 24th March 2020
Dear Parent/Carer,
It is going to be a challenging few weeks for us all, and the country as a whole, but it is critical that we all play our part.
Social Distancing
- Children should stay at home.
- They should not have friends round to the house – this is crucial to stop the virus being transferred from home to home.
- They can go out to exercise once a day, but only with members of their own household. They will need to keep 2 metres away from other people.
- Minimise the frequency that members of your family shop and minimise the number of you going to the shop.
Looking after our children's mental health
If you have a worried child at home, Mrs Cox, our Safeguarding Lead, has shared the useful Childline link below:
Restricted School Update (on site provision)
Hazeley parents have been excellent in only using this provision when they really need to. This is helping us keep it as safe as possible for all connected to it, and play our important role in promoting social distancing.
If you have any questions about the on-site school provision, then please contact Miss Whiteman - twhiteman@thehazeleyacademy.com
Virtual School Update (online learning)
Our staff have committed to not just delivering distance learning, they are aspiring to provide the very best experience for our students. I have been amazed by the speed at which staff, students and parents have made this transition.
This is all being led by the marvellous Mrs Williamson, who will be sending out weekly updates and asking for your feedback. Should you wish to contact her, please do so via - gwilliamson@thehazeleyacademy.com
Please encourage your child to email their teachers directly and engage in the support that is offered. It is recommended that your child checks their Office Outlook email twice a day for updates. If your child has misplaced the student guide to learning which included key email addresses, please note it can be found on our website here - https://www.thehazeleyacademy.com/news/?pid=53&nid=1&storyid=31. Your child can also email – enquiries@thehazeleyacademy.com if they need support and we will redirect the query to the appropriate person.
Each week the Progress Leader is sending out a year group communication. This will be similar to a Lead Lesson and may take the form of a PowerPoint, voice recording or mini podcast.
On a Tuesday and a Thursday, form tutors will be attempting to engage with each of their form group. The purpose of this is to check in with how the students are doing, provide motivation and help with any queries they may have.
Progress Leaders are keeping a close eye on our Go4Schools log in details and will be ensuring those that are accessing regular work are praised and recognised, whilst also trying to find out why some are not engaging in this.
Does your child need additional support?
Some of our students will require more support adapting to this new way for working. Mr Healy and his team of pastoral superheroes have been contacting key students already. If you feel that your child needs additional support and has not yet received it, then please do not hesitate to contact their form tutor in the first instance.
If you still need support, then please do contact Mr Healy directly - SHealy@thehazeleyacademy.com .
Developing Life Skills
I would encourage all parents to seize the opportunity to help their child to develop essential life skills such as cooking, cleaning and ironing - if you are feeling more adventurous some gardening and DIY! I am offering a small prize to the best photos of this in action. Please email your life skill photos to me via Miss Cooke – patotheprincipal@thehazeleyacademy.com .
Asthma
The link below gives a useful overview of advice around asthma and Covid 19, which may be of interest - https://www.ashttps://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/triggers/coronavirus-covid-19/
Social Media
We have reiterated to all staff today that they are not to make social media contact with students, or recent leavers. Our Year 11 and Year 13 students should bear this in mind - we are not being unfriendly; we are just obeying the law. The school email addresses of these year groups will remain operational until the end of the year and we welcome students to contact staff via their school email address.
Hazeley is here to “grow a vibrant community of exceptional people”. We need to keep working together to support each other and find the opportunities in the midst of the challenges and see the fun in the disruption.
On that note I hope you enjoy the video in the link below:
A video from one of our staff to help raise a much needed smile
Thank you for playing your part and making sure that your children do the same.
Kind regards
Mr Nelson