Supporting pupils accessing Fronter and Google Classroom

FAMILYWORKS NI/CAMHS/PASTORAL CLASSROOMS

Telephone Supports for Young People

Update to Parents & Pupils  2^nd April 2020

I hope the Remote Learning is going well.  We would appeal that you take time to ensure that your son/daughter has logged on to Google Classroom or Fronter and is completing the tasks set by their subject teachers  OR is working from a hard pack, collected from school.  Get in touch on the info@ account if your need our help.  It is crucial that pupils stay engaged to maintain momentum as they continue to build towards developing their skill sets and subject understanding.

1.    Junior School

There will be many gaps in your learning next year if you fall behind now.  The Senior staff (Mrs Hastings, Mr McKillop , Mr Oliver, & Mrs Wilson), can see and monitor your participation every day.  You will be hearing from us by telephone or by letter after the Easter holidays if you are not engaging.

We have included two links which pupils may find useful to support their ‘Remote Learning’ journey.

Link 1 - Speak text-to-speech feature to read text aloud!

This function might be helpful for some of the pupils who are struggling with reading their work.  It is an add on for the Office programmes. It is very quick to set up pupils will need to adjust the settings on their computer.  Follow the link to find instructions.  If you experience difficulty, email Mr Cathcart, the school’s IT Technician, on scathcart150@c2ken.net and he will provide assistance.

https://support.office.com/en-gb/article/use-the-speak-text-to-speech-feature-to-read-text-aloud-459e7704-a76d-4fe2-ab48-189d6b83333c

Link 2 – Audible Stories – They Entertain. They Teach. The keep young minds active an engaged!

Amazon, today, has cancelled the subscriptions of books and audio stories for children and students of all ages as along as schools are closed.

For as long as schools are closed, we're open. Starting today, kids everywhere can instantly stream an incredible collection of stories, including titles across six different languages, that will help them continue dreaming, learning, and just being kids.

https://stories.audible.com/start-listen

All stories are free to stream on your desktop, laptop, phone or tablet. 

Explore the collection, select a title and start listening.     It's that easy!

It is also possible to get pastoral support and learning support through Google Classrooms and we are working hard to develop and improve this for the benefit of everyone.

Codes for Junior Google Classrooms:

Year 8: fiff3ot

Year 9: 2dhje63

Year 10: jqifwzo

You are not at school over the Easter holidays – so I encourage you to do something different……  some baking/cooking, painting, gardening, DIY, a new hobby, helping deliver things for people, keeping fit…..  but by all means work on if your teacher has uploaded work in advance, using the reading material provided or using the many recommended tips we have given you.

None of our key workers’ children intend to be in school on Week 1 and will be letting us about Week 2.  Rest assured, it will be no trouble to help out in this way if it is needed.

2. Senior School

(i)          Years  11 & 13   You will be half-way through your Examination specifications by the end of June.  Your work this year will be vital for your GCSE progression.  Do not assume that you will not be assessed on this year’s work.  You must work on… and work hard.. according to the advice of your teachers.

(ii)          Years 12 & 14    Some of your subjects are for Examination Boards which are continuing to assess your coursework, eg Business, Child Care, Sport…. You must therefore apply yourself fully.   Some of your subjects are for CCEA and you may be thinking that – because they are not assessing any new work – you can simply stop working.  In many cases, your teachers will be making assessments based on what you have done so far and they will need evidence of your work quality – particularly for those assignments which you had started and did not finish – or in the case of Drama or Technology, practical work which you were developing but had not completed.  You must therefore finish all your specifications, in the way your teachers guide you, in all good faith.  ALSO – you must realise that wherever you are planning to go next year eg Sixth Form to University or Year 12 into Sixth Form – you must have work to show for your time of Remote Learning during this crisis.

(iii)        Monitoring  All Senior pupils therefore who are not engaging with their subjects, or engaging with some subjects and not others, will be contacted directly by a member of senior staff in the coming days.  (Mrs Alexander, Mr McNeilly, Mr Oliver & Mrs Wilson)

(iv)        Be Encouraged  Well done to the many who are engaging fully.  If you know of a friend who is opting out – I encourage you to encourage them!  Stay well everyone…  and please encourage pupils to persevere, however frustrated they sometimes become.  Let’s try to share and help one another all we can.

Ruth Wilson

Update for Parents and Pupils – Tuesday 31st March 2020

Good Evening All

As we adapt to our new way of working, living and educating please be assured that staff remain determined and committed to support remote learning.  Up to Friday 20^th March online learning existed in parallel with a structured timetable where pupils met daily with staff to ensure understanding and direction for individual subjects.  To safeguard that pupils achieve learning intentions and targeted goals, we now, more than ever must ensure that ‘remote learning’ becomes a phrase that supports pupils as an electronic tool, during this period of social distancing, to becoming ‘independent learners’.

We would ask that you take time to ensure that your son/daughter has logged on to Google Classroom/Fronter and is completing the tasks set by their subject teachers.  It is crucial that pupils stay engaged to maintain momentum as they continue to build towards developing their skill sets and subject understanding.

Support docs for downloading and accessing Google Classroom can be found on the school website.

We have included two links which pupils may find useful to support their ‘Remote Learning’ journey.

Stay Safe!

N Oliver

Deputy Principal

Link 1

Speak text-to-speech feature to read text aloud!

This function might be helpful for some of the pupils who are struggling with reading their work.  It is an add on for the Office programmes. It is very quick to set up pupils will need to adjust the settings on their computer.  Follow the link to find instructions.  If you experience difficulty, email Mr Cathcart, the school’s IT Technician, on scathcart150@c2ken.net and he will provide assistance.

https://support.office.com/en-gb/article/use-the-speak-text-to-speech-feature-to-read-text-aloud-459e7704-a76d-4fe2-ab48-189d6b83333c

Link 2

Audible Stories

They Entertain. They Teach. The keep young minds active an engaged!

Amazon, today, has cancelled the subscriptions of books and audio stories for children and students of all ages as along as schools are closed.

For as long as schools are closed, we're open. Starting today, kids everywhere can instantly stream an incredible collection of stories, including titles across six different languages, that will help them continue dreaming, learning, and just being kids.

https://stories.audible.com/start-listen

All stories are free to stream on your desktop, laptop, phone or tablet. 

Explore the collection, select a title and start listening. 

It's that easy!

Update for Parents and Pupils – Monday 30th March 2020

Good morning all

As we settle into our second week of Remote Learning, I want to encourage all our students – and parents to keep going!

Here a few reminders:

1.Please ensure your child has enrolled in his/her classes in Google Classroom or Fronter, according to the instructions given by the individual teachers.  If there is still any doubt, please contact us at the School Office between 9.00am and 12.00midday or through the College email. 

2.It is very important to send your complete work back to your teachers for feedback.

3.It is still possible to receive a Learning Pack, if Remote Learning is not possible.  Please let us know if you have not received this so far.

4.This week we will be identifying those who are not engaging with learning and contacting you personally so that no-one misses out!

5.It is very difficult for young people who struggle with Literacy – to read all the material online and to cope with the instructions given.  It would really help if whoever is looking after them at home, or an older sibling, would be able to read over some of the material with them.  We want to help if you are having difficulties in this area so don’t hesitate to get in touch so that we can discuss it.  You may need advice about an audio function on your computer or an App to help you!

6.If your reading is a challenge – I encourage you to listen to audio books and try to follow along.  This is not a substitute for practising your reading – as you still need to do that for at least ten minutes every day – but it will allow you to respond to what you are reading and demonstrate your understanding.  Most importantly, it will be encouraging for you.

7.I hope it will be possible in time to offer some further learning support in school in a way that is safe.  Above all – do not give up.

8.If you are a key worker you are most welcome to send your child into school each day.  Let us know if you need this, even if you did not need it previously.  It could be on either a full or part-time basis.

9.If your child is vulnerable and you need advice – or you need to check if coming in to school is an option for you – please contact me, especially if your child is in Years 8-10.

10.The schools in the Ballymena area will work together if and as necessary in the days ahead.

Above all – take breaks and do interesting things.  The Art Department and PE Department are busy making useful suggestions which any age group can use.

Stay safe.  Look after yourselves and one another.  We all need to help our NHS staff by following all the advice and guidance given - and staying home as much as possible.

Ruth Wilson

Principal

Update for Parents and Pupils – Thursday 26th March 2020

The following is a quotation from a message which was received by the Principal this morning from Mr Gray on behalf of the Board of Governors:

‘We know and understand the enormous pressures that have been put upon you in managing the current situation and want to reassure you that you have our total support in any actions you may see fit to take….  None of us are able to see quite where this is all going, or when it may end. I know you and many teachers; senior staff and support staff are in school maintaining the system of care for the children of essential working parents.

On a personal note may I ask you and all your colleagues to take great care and STAY SAFE!’.

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