Children’s Mental Health Week – Express Yourself!
1-7 February 2021
Dear Parents
You might like to share the prayer and reflection (just click on the link below) with your children at home. It’s good to talk and perfectly normal to worry and have questions. It’s good to share how we are feeling if we are worried.
According to Place2Be, a children’s mental health charity that provides counselling and mental health support in UK schools, around three children in every primary school class have a mental health problem, and many more struggle with challenges from bullying to bereavement.
Place2Be launched the first ever Children’s Mental Health Week in 2015 to shine a spotlight on the importance of children and young people’s mental health. Now in its seventh year, they hope to encourage more people than ever to get involved and spread the word – we wanted to get on board and bring a God-context to these issues too.
This year’s theme is ‘Express Yourself’ and is about helping children to find ways to share their feelings, thoughts, or ideas through creativity. This could be through art, music, writing and poetry, dance and drama, photography and film, and doing activities that make them feel good. This is not about being the best at something or putting on a performance for others. It is about helping children to find a way to show who they are, and how they see the world, that can help them feel good about themselves.
What is mental health?
We all have mental health. Mental health is about our feelings, our thinking, our emotions and our moods.
Looking after our mental health is important. We all have small feelings every day: These sometimes feel strong and overwhelming, whether happy or sad, but they go away before too long.
Sometimes we experience big feelings: These can feel strong and overwhelming for a long time. They can stop us doing what we want to in our lives.
Links for Parents:
Click the picture below for information on how to support the teaching of maths for your child at home
Click on the picture below to watch a video which explains the corona virus for children
Alternatively, click the link below to read the story of coronavirus.
https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/4019268/Lessons/Home%20Learning%20Hub/Coronavirus/Coronavirus%20Storybook.pdf
Click on the image below for access to free podcasts which children can listen to daily while at home;
Supporting Families in Our School Communities
Many families within our school community will experience difficult and uncertain times due to the Covid-19 virus and periods of self-isolation. In all likelihood this may result in financial implications due to loss of income or increased pressures on low incomes. Below are a few links to provide information to assist parents and careers on how to access various levels of support.
The Crisis Fund provides immediate financial support for families facing a crisis in their lives. Parish Priests and Headteachers can apply to this fund on behalf of a family and we will respond within 24 hours. This support can make a huge difference to families in desperate situations when they have nowhere else to turn.
Caritas Westminster has launched a new initiative across the Diocese of Westminster to tackle the problem of food poverty and insecurity. The project, called Caritas Food Collective, has three key aims: to expand direct food relief across the diocese, to support people to become more food secure through signposting and skills training, and to develop education and advocacy across the diocese so together we can tackle the issues underlying the problem of food poverty.
This includes our Community Shops, Furniture Stores, Advice and Support Centres, Supported Accommodation and our contract with the Home Office to manage and run two local Approved Premises. SVP members are also involved with holiday camps and the running of local soup runs and food banks
The website provides useful information on locating your local Foodbank and how you can access emergency help.
Early Help Hubs/Social Services – All local authorities have advice and support for families experiencing difficulties – Direct parents to your local authority website.
Caritas Social Action Network – Provides a comprehensive list of agencies who offer a wide range of help, support and advice on social issues https://www.csan.org.uk/
Caritas Social Action Network shares in the mission of the Catholic Church in England & Wales. We animate and co-ordinate our network of social action charities and dioceses, working in collaboration with them to help poor, vulnerable and marginalised people find their voice and to enable them to improve their lives.
Use the web link to find your local authority where you can access services and seek advice on potential grants, benefits and funds
Family Action works to tackle some of the most complex and difficult issues facing families today – including financial hardship, mental health problems, social isolation, learning disabilities, domestic abuse, or substance misuse and alcohol problems.
Family Fund – Charity supporting families with disabled or seriously ill children - https://www.familyfund.org.uk/
Family Fund is the UK’s largest charity providing grants for families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people.
Turn2Us - Turn2us is a national charity providing practical help to people who are struggling financially. - https://www.turn2us.org.uk/
Turn2us helps people in financial need gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help – online, by phone and face to face through our partner organisations.
Please look at our recent newsletters for Online Safety
Here are some useful links click on the pictures and the links for more information:
Tackling criminal exploitation (Children's Society)
The Children's Society, along with many other organisations, are working to disrupt the activity of criminal gangs and keep young people safer. They work with the police to stop county lines activity and recognise the young people that have been exploited by criminal gangs as victims, not criminals.
The Children's Society has developed resources for parents and professionals if they are worried a young person is involved in county lines.
Criminal exploitation: A guide for parents
This parents' guide can be downloaded here:
Parent and Carer Online Toolkit (Childnet)
The new non-statutory guidance published in the summer, Teaching Online Safety (2019, DfE), recommends that schools 'Proactively [engage] staff, pupils and parents/carers in school activities that promote the agreed principles of online safety' (see paragraph 42).
Childnet have updated their parent and carer toolkit that will help parents have conversations about online safety. Their booklet 'Let's talk about life online' includes ten key messages that should be shared with children:
"You can always come to me if you need help."
"What would you do if this happened…?"
"Remember that not everyone is who they say they are online."
"Keep your personal information safe, and other people’s too."
"Be respectful to others online."
"Think before you post."
"Remember to ask if it’s okay."
"Remember not everything is true online."
"The things other people post online might not always show what their life is really like."
"Recognise how going online makes you feel and take a break when you need to."
The Parent and Carer Toolkit can be found here:
Year 6 Secondary Transfer Meeting with Parents
Jacqui Summers, the senior parenting adviser from Enfield Parents Support Service gave a really useful talk to year six parents yesterday, with tips and advice on supporting your children as they prepare to move to secondary school. Take a look at the advice sheet she produced and feel free to contact the service (or come and ask us to do so on your behalf) if you are particularly concerned about something.
Safer Internet Day: managing online identity
This year's Safer Internet Day on 11 February encourages young people to explore how they manage their online identity, and how the internet shapes how they think of themselves and others.
If you're interested in getting involved or finding out anymore, you can download parent and carers packs from UK Safer Internet Centre's website.
5 useful resources you can use this Safer Internet Day:
Jessie & Friends - our 4-7s resource (episode 3) explores personal information and why it's important not to share this with people you don't know
Band Runner - our fun game for 8-10s puts children’s knowledge to the test by asking them to help characters make safe choices online
Thinkuknow Toolkit - use our toolkit with 11-18s to explore the concept of online identity and relationships
Parents and carers presentations - Use our presentation for parents to help them understand the behaviour of children and young people online, and the resources they can use to support their child
Having a positive digital footprint (Parent Info) - share top tips with parents and carers on how they can help their child create a positive digital footprint and make their online presence work for them
We were delighted to achieve the Leading Parent Partnership Award for the third time, following a rigorous final verification visit in September. The report which followed a while after was very complimentary about the school, these are some of the comments from the report:
'This is the third time St Mary's has won the Leading Parent Partnership Award, testament to the importance they attach to the value of strong and effective home school partnership.'
'St Mary's provides a warm, welcoming and inspirational environment ......displays are of a gold standard...'
'The reception area is comfortable, professionally staffed and welcoming.'
The assessor spoke to a group of parents on the day of final verification and reported them as saying 'everything they do (in school ) is hand in hand with parents.'
Well done everybody, a successful partnership which we will continue to strengthen and deepen.
Click on the links below for all of the latest information about your child's transfer to secondary school in 2019:
Computer courses for parents
Parents and caregivers were recently invited to take part in some training sessions to develop their computer skills. The training offered individuals the opportunity to have some hands-on experience of writing documents, preparing presentations, using spreadsheets and learning how to use email and the internet more effectively.
The school enjoys a rich diversity represented by at least thirty languages. We take care to ensure that anyone who may need something translated (written or spoken) is catered for.
Our pupils, in learning to accept others with all their differences, develop an appreciation for what we can all offer to each other.
Summer Holiday Cycling
There are cycling courses running throughout August in Enfield for all ages and levels of cycling ability. Take a look at the website and book a place - training courses are free. The only restriction is you must live, work or study in Enfield.
Have fun!
Feedback from our parents' survey
Thank you to all of you who took part in our parents' survey at the end of May and took the trouble to write comments as well. The response was overwhelmingly positive and we are delighted that you feel welcomed when you come in to school and receive satisfactory answers to your queries.
This does not mean we are complacent however and as you know, we will always listen to your suggestions for improvements.
This quote was a typical response-
"It's always a pleasure coming to drop my daughter off to school in the morning. Ms Creed and the other members of staff are always warm and welcoming. They are always on hand if we have a problem. The ladies in the office are always kind and extremely courteous. We appreciate you all and thank you for looking after our daughter."
Parents' Computing Course
Parents' IT Workshops
Don't forget these sessions are starting this Monday (10th September) - if you can't remember what you signed up for, just come and check with us. If you didn't initially reply but now feel you would like to join a workshop, we should be able to add you in .
We have had a very good response to our letter about running an IT course in school for parents. In order to make sure we have enough time to cover all aspects at the correct level, we will be starting the first course in September (we are planning three programmes). We will be sending letters out in the next week with details of time and dates. This should give you plenty of time to make any arrangements you might need to and to speak to us if you would like us to change anything. We are looking forward to running the course as it looks to be something you feel will be of real interest.
By the way don't forget to let us know if you have skills and experience which you feel would benefit us in school in any way. Speaking to one parent for example, she told me that she does not need the course herself a she is an IT specialist but she would love to come in and help. As you know we welcome you coming in to school -the children always enjoy it and teachers recognise the benefit of having a different perspective. Contact the office and they will give you details of how to go about completing any paper-work (DBS check is always necessary).
KS2 National Results 2017
We are very fortunate to live just a stones throw away from the River Lee and the Lee Valley Park which follws much of the river. The park provides vast open spaces, nature reserves, Lee Valley Park Farms as well as facilities for a variety of sports including water sports.
The London 2012 Olympics led to a number of projects to improve the Lee Valley waterways for both people and nature.
Click on the links below for more information about the activities which are available and for more useful information;
DANCE FESTIVAL 2018
We danced to the theme of 'Let's Dance'. We went to Milfield Theatre to perform our dance. We were so proud of ourselves and really enjoyed dancing on stage!
"I liked doing everything, I got to dance infront of my parents" "I had fun dancing, it was great"
"I liked going into the huddle, and into the circle" "the best was my bowtie, it was so glittery and sparkly" "I think I did really good jumping"
"The best bit was when we were going to dance infront of all the people, but I really liked doing the colouring after!"
"When the lights went off, it was a bit scary" "Then then lights came on, I was nervous to do the dance, but I was so happy, I heard the music playing and everyone was clapping"
"I liked doing the turns" "I was scared but very excited" "I had a beautiful feather and gems on my headband"
"It was so good to do the dancing, I really liked the fact that we got to make up the moves ourselves and think about the way we had to put all the steps together" "We got to do our own styles and it felt so good to perform infront of everyone"
