Dear Parents and Carers,

                            This Thursday, 4^th March, is World Book Day! Instead of their usual lessons, your child/children will have a day filled with activities that encourage them to celebrate reading and books! We would love for you to get involved and celebrate with them. There will be ideas on all Google Classroom pages, but we wanted to draw your attention to a few key things which will be happening:

St Mary’s Spud Stories

Instead of dressing up, we would love for your family to get creative and make either a book character, or a scene from a story, out of potato. You could paint, carve, or sculpt out of mash! Anything goes, as long as it is made from potato. It would be great if you could then take a picture of your creation (if possible including the book it is based on) and send it in on Google Classroom

Share a Story

World Book Day have organised some live book events that are taking place throughout this week. Why not log in to one or watch it afterwards on YouTube?

The World Book Day website also has a range of great activities that you can enjoy as a family. There are classic stories for younger children, a range of audio books for all ages, and some brilliant competitions which your child/children might want to have a go at!

Have a brilliant, book-filled day,

Mrs Furze and Miss Heath

St Mary's Fields Primary School adopts TAP’s free thanking platform!

“Sometimes in life, it’s the little things that often mean the most. TAP gives us the opportunity to demonstrate the power behind a recognition for an action, a kind word, a helping hand and a smile.

I am excited to see how the introduction of TAP to our school can play a part in raising the Well Being of all involved, by both the giving and the receiving of the gift of thanks and appreciation”, says Helen Nott, Deputy Headteacher at St Mary’s Fields Primary School.

If you’d like to show your appreciation to our school staff, please visit: www.thankandpraise.com/thankingwall/st-marys-fields-primary-school

Dear Parents and Carers,

Digital Detox Day -Thursday

This week is Children’s Mental Health Week.

We recognise that for children, families and school staff, remote learning has been a new way for us to teach and support children and find new ways to engage children with learning. We also recognise, that remote learning can be frustrating and lead children and school staff to spend large periods of time on digital devices. It can also lead to worries for parents with having to ensure children are focused and complete work at home.

We would like to make sure that these times where children are at home, with their families can be ones that bring happy and positive memories. We also want to encourage children and families to have time together, to talk, play and do activities which do not involve digital devices.

With this in mind we have joined up with schools across Leicester City for a ‘digital detox day’. This will see thousands of children stepping away from computers, laptops, tablets and other digital devices and being encourage to do other activities.

So what will a digital detox day look like…

For pupils…

On Thursday there will be no remote learning digitally, no online check ins, no online feedback for pupils or school staff. Instead we will be sending you ideas for activities for your child and your family to do. These will be focused around mental health, wellbeing and talking to other family members. These are attached to the email. The school will be continuing this theme in school for those children attending.

For teachers…

Teachers will also not be online on Thursday. This will allow time for them to have opportunities to talk to colleagues, share ideas for good practice, review pupils learning for the week to support improving the learning experience and reduce their own screen time.

For parents…

Please take the time to have a break from ‘school work’. Instead use the time to spend with your child/children doing activities that you know they will enjoy – bake something, dance around the living room, have an indoor picnic, go for a walk and talk about what you see, play a board game or make a junk model. Please remember, that your mental health and wellbeing is important, so that you are able to cope with the challenges of remote home learning. So do try to find a few minutes of time which is just about you on the day too!

Attached are a range of ideas and activities to get you started but add in your own activities that you know your children will enjoy.

Our teachers will be back ‘online’ on Friday. We would love it if your child shares with us the next day what activities they did.

Yours sincerely,

Rebecca Dulieu

Head teacher

Detox Ideas

Detox Activities