Learning from home
The resources on this page can also be used to support catch up at home.
Additional Home Learning Options
Spellings- High Frequency Words
Book Quizzes (Accelerated Reader)
We know that many of the children will be reading lots at home and will want to take the AR book quizzes to test their understanding of the books they read. The URL to access the Elham School page is:
https://ukhosted68.renlearn.co.uk/2240583
Each child's login is the first letter of their Christian name and the first four letters of their surname, all in capital letters. The password is ABC. So, for example, my login would be FGODD.
Before beginning a quiz, your child will be asked for another password. This is admin (all lower case).
If you have any problems, please email me at fionagodden@elham.kent.sch.uk.
Happy reading everyone!
Mrs Godden
________________________________________________________________________________
Website links
The following links have been set up and can be used to link to the medium term plans for specific classes.
Many of these companies have waived the fee for use of their site during the Coronavirus outbreak. We thank them for this gesture.
Times Tables Rock Stars
Great for Times Tables!
Scratch
https://scratch.mit.edu/explore/projects/games/
Creative computer programming
National Geographic Kids
https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/
Activities and quizzes for younger kids.
Prodigy Maths
https://www.prodigygame.com
Maths good for UK Primary age.
Cbeebies Radio
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/radio
Listening activities for the younger ones.
Classroom Secrets
https://classroomsecrets.co.uk/free-home-learning-packs/
Learning packs for each year group.
Big History Project
https://www.bighistoryproject.com/home
Aimed at Secondary age. Multi disciplinary activities.
Purple Mash
https://www.purplemash.com/sch/elham
A variety of packages for a variety of purposes.
Language Angels
https://www.languageangels.com/schools/
A variety of games and resources to support language learning (French).
Username: elhampupils
Password: lafrenchgames
Blue Peter Badges
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/joinin/about-blue-peter-badges
If you have a stamp and a nearby post box.
Geography Games
https://world-geography-games.com/world.html
Geography gaming!
The Artful Parent
https://www.facebook.com/artfulparent/
Good, free art activities
Red Ted Art
https://www.redtedart.com
Easy arts and crafts for little ones
The Imagination Tree
https://theimaginationtree.com
Creative art and craft activities for the very youngest.
Toy Theater
https://toytheater.com/
Educational online games
DK Find Out
https://www.dkfindout.com/uk/?fbclid=IwAR2wJdpSJSeITf4do6aPhff8A3tAktnmpaxqZbkgudD49l71ep8-sjXmrac
Activities and quizzes
Twinkl
https://www.twinkl.co.uk
This is more for printouts, and usually at a fee, but they are offering a month of free access to parents in the event of school closures.
How do I use this page?
1- Take a look at the Medium Term Plans (MTP) on the Curriculum 2020 page.
2- Check the MTP and see what your child would have been learning if they had been in school.
3- Pick a topic area and find a link that may support that learning or use a search engine to research that area as a team!
4- Look at the class pages and see what your child's teacher has added to help support home learning for you and your child/ren.
5- Use the record sheet to keep a log of what you have done so your child's teacher can bridge any gaps when normality resumes!
As well as learning linked to the MTPs, we hope that you will find time to read lots of stories, practice the spellings (lists will be uploaded to class pages) and practice times tables!
School closure is also a time for your child to create a project around an area that they are really interested in. They could research the topic and report their findings. They could make a short film, design a set of revision cards to share with their friends. They could make a model, write a song or poem linked to the topic!
It could also be a time to get your very own Blue Peter Badge- see the link for more information!
Videos for our school community
Updates from Mr File
Wednesday 15th April 2020
Dear Parents,
I do hope this message finds you and all your loved ones in good health following a wonderful Easter Weekend. I am sure, like my family, you were able to enjoy the wonderful weather. I hope you were able to spend quality time together as a family and were also able to use technology to link up with those friends and family that you were unable to see due to the present circumstances.
As we enter what would normally be Term 5 at school I wanted to remind you what we have in place to enable you to offer some sort of learning at home for your children.
The main places to look at are the Learning from home tab that is under the Parent banner on the website. This page sets out how to use the resources that teachers are updating regularly. If you scroll down on that page, listed are many websites that can be used as learning resources in all subject areas.
Also, daily learning activities and learning intentions can be found on the Class Pages that can be found under the Children banner on the website. If you go to your child’s class by clicking on the relevant class icon and then click into the Term 5 icon, you will find that the term is set out in weekly star icons. Staff will be putting learning resources onto these pages, linking closely to what your child would have been learning had they been in school.
I realise that many of you are working from home and that it will be hard to motivate and teach your children as they would be taught if they were in school. You, and your children, will have good days and bad days. Encourage your children to do as much as you can all manage. Pick your battles.
If you are struggling understanding a concept that you are trying to teach your child, contact their class teacher via email and they will do their best to help support and guide you through it. The team are happy to call you and talk it through or guide you via email.
Please ask your child to check in often with the teacher- encourage them to use their teacher’s email to tell them how they are doing and what they have been learning. They can send pictures of their learning so they can see what you have been focussing on and it may make its way onto our website!
It is also useful for us if you can send your completed record sheet that you have used to keep a log of the home learning. These will be used by your child's teacher to help bridge any gaps when normality resumes.
I know that some families have drawn up timetables that help them get through the days and weeks. With my own children, we aim to work through the mornings and then we have the afternoons to do our own activities, sometimes together and sometimes individually. We aim to start with a half hour exercise session that might be with Joe Wickes, a Zumba class from a DVD that we have or a YouTube class that we can all follow. Sometimes my children plan some circuits in the garden and we have even had sessions on the trampoline!
We then have a short rest (I sometimes need to lay down!) and a drink and then we aim to read for half an hour. This is followed by a maths session, writing task or project as set out by their schools. We have a short break and then repeat the above covering a different subject area. This takes us to lunchtime and then the afternoons are free to do a family activity or have individual time. Most afternoons we go for a walk or bike ride from our house as a form of daily exercise as set out in Government Guidance.
I want to reassure you that this is the plan we draw up and it is subject to change…most days!
Please don’t beat yourself up about not doing very much. Just try and do as much as you can, but don’t worry that it is not enough- it is. Little and often is the way to keep their brains ticking.
As I wrote in my last note to you- anxiety levels may be higher than normal for adults and children in this time of uncertainty - it is good to talk. Share your thoughts and feelings with each other. Get your children to keep in touch with classmates with a phone call or use technology to face time or video call.
Please look out for others that might be struggling at this time. If you feel that someone needs support that you can’t offer, please do let me know and we will see if we can help. We are all in this together and we are all experiencing the same thoughts and feelings.
Stay safe, stay strong, hug your children tight and keep smiling!
I miss you TEAM ELHAM!
Best wishes,
Dan File
Wednesday 1st April 2020
Dear Children, Parents, Staff and Governors of Elham Primary School,
I write to you at the end of term four where in normal circumstances we would be celebrating the coming of Easter in St Mary's Church. We would be looking at the wonders of the Easter Story and celebrating the coming of springtime with songs, poems and prayers. However, this is not the case this year. Instead we have not been together at school for nearly two weeks, staying at home with our families and trying to make the most of an unprecedented time in all of our lives. Staying at home is the advice given by the experts so we can help the NHS and healthcare professionals fight COVID-19.
I have to say that you have all impressed me with the way you have embraced the new challenges that we face. The wonderful staff have been updating the home learning pages on our website and keeping in touch with children and families via email. They have also ensured that we have been able to keep our school open, when needed, offering childcare for the children of critical workers who are continuing to work on the front line in the fight against this wretched virus.
Parents have become teachers and have been using online resources to ensure that the education of their children continues to the best of all our abilities. From my point of view, it really isn't easy educating one's own children! I have been learning all sorts of new strategies that I am sure will serve me well when I get children in school saying 'no' or 'not yet', 'wait' or 'after this game.' Secondary school maths is really 'not your thing, dad’ - okay, Amber and Jude, I get the message...but I am doing my best!
Children, you have been working hard with your home learning and I am sure you haven't given your parents any grief or abuse like my own children have given me! All I ask is you try and do a little reading, writing and maths each day which will keep your brain in gear. Also, try and continue doing some physical activity everyday - Lou Hirst or Joe Wicks, or both! Listen to some music - sing with Alex McNeice each weekday at 3pm live on YouTube. Paint a picture or build a model. Also, learn to use the washing machine, empty the dishwasher or cut the grass for your parents - every little helps at this time.
I know that some of you will be feeling worried about what the future holds. Anxiety levels may be higher than normal for adults and children - it is good to talk. Share your thoughts and feelings with each other. If you want to talk to someone who is not in the same four walls as you, email the school office and either myself or Mrs Soutan will call you for a chat. Also, help each other - pick up the phone to friends, WhatsApp each other or Facetime. All the staff had a Zoom staff meeting this week and it was so great to catch up and see everyone's beautiful faces. After the call, it was reassuring to know that everyone was okay and that we are all in the same boat, coping well to keep that boat afloat.
On the other side of this event in history, we will come out better people. We will have learnt new things about ourselves, our friends and our family units. We know that we are strong and that together we are even stronger.
Stay safe, keep well, love one another and show that you care for those that need it. Well done TEAM ELHAM! I miss you all so much and hope that we will be back together soon!
Happy Easter to you all.
Dan File
Headteacher
Monday 23rd March 2020
Dear parents,
Thank you for your wonderful support last week. It was a tough week for us all, but we got through it. Your children impressed me with their attitude and the way they really pulled together as a team.
As you are aware, we have set up a page on our website that will help you with home educating your children. I know that this will not be an easy task, and I am sure it fills some of you with fear and dread. Look, we are in unprecedented times. Don't force your children to sit at the table for hours doing learning activities they don't want to do. Pick your battles. Try and encourage them to read everyday and do a little bit of writing. Do a bit of maths, if you can, but make it fun.
Get in the garden and plant some seeds. Play a board game and laugh a lot.
This is a time that is scary for us all, but let's make the most of the time with our families. Do those things that you never have time to do. My family cleaned off the trampoline in the garden today. We plan on having PE time on it and learn new tricks (once I've got some tricks, I will post a video!) We are also going to invent some new games that we can play over the fence with our neighbours.
Look, what I am trying to say is try and enjoy the time. Yes learning is important, but let's be able to look back on this time and say that it was a massively positive experience and a memorable time in our children's lives.
Love each other and have loads of fun!
I am going to be checking my emails and Facebook daily so do keep me up to date with what you are doing!
Keep well and stay safe,
Dan File
Please use our school Facebook page to ask any questions regarding the home learning and staff will do their best to help out.
Also, please use it to keep everyone up to date with the wonderful things you are doing & share ideas and activities to help keep everyone engaged and entertained!