As we are all well aware, Internet Safety is extremely important and is one of the biggest concerns in today’s everyday life. It is everyone’s responsibility to keep our children safe and to do our best to keep up to date with changing technology. To support parents with this, we are updating the Internet Safety page on the website with more information and advice. Please take a look and if you find anything else related to Internet Safety that could be shared with parents please email a link to school and we can add it to the page.

The Internet Safety page can be found under the ‘Parents’ tab, ‘Links for Parents’ and then Internet Safety.

https://www.hanleyswanprimaryschool.co.uk/internet-safety/

Since our recent visit to Maweni we have updated the Maweni page with more photos, information and film clips. Please take a look.

The page can be found under the ‘Community’ heading.

Our friendship with Maweni Primary is very special. The relationship between the staff in both schools is incredible. Together we learn so much. On Monday 18th November at 3:20pm Mr Bundy and Mrs Drinkwater will be hosting a talk about the link. They will be updating everyone on the support that we provide academically and financially. Talking about some of the new things that they saw and did in Maweni and giving a brief run through on many of the ways that we can learn from Tanzania to help combat climate change and environmental issues. 

Live, learn, laugh and love, these are 4 words that sum up our whole experience here in Maweni. 

We are living each day to the full. Visiting the classrooms, checking out the success of the projects, eating traditional African food grown and prepared with our amazing Maweni friends and creating magical memories. 

We are learning so much from the staff and children at Maweni. Sharing educational ideas and resources, developing a better understanding of our cultures and helping each other on how our pupils can become better global citizens. 

We are laughing all the time. Laughing with pupils about how we do things or our attempt to speak Swahili. Laughing with Maweni staff about differences in how we live our lives and simple jokes and actions. 

We love them and they love us. The friendship between the two schools is unmeasurable. The love we share is untenable. They have nothing and yet they give us so much. We have distributed all of the lovely gifts that you donated and the children and staff have expressed huge gratitude for stationery that will support their learning and help them access a better education.

 This year we have taught a science lesson and made and played with bubbles. The children and staff of Maweni have never seen or played with bubbles before, so you can imagine the fun, laughter, learning and smiles that every child (and teacher) had. 

The projects are going from strength to strength and this year we have used some of our fundraising money to boost the numbers of chickens. We have also bought new exercise books for every pupil, paper, card and basic teaching resources. They are all very thankfuul. 

Thank you everyone that supports our friendship with Maweni. It is a very strong partnership that makes a massive difference to every child and adult involved.

Following on from our recent Harvest Festival we have recieved a couple of lovely thank you notes.

More and more of our young people have access to a mobile phone. With these new experiences and powers comes great responsibility for us to help keep the children safe and happy. One way to do this is to have a look at the O2 and NSPCC resources

O2 and the NSPCC have joined forces on a mission to help all children and their families in the UK stay safe online. Together, they’re offering useful tools, support and guidance to help parents and carers have conversations with their children about their online lives.

If you need any support with online issues then please phone the O2 and NSPCC Online Safety Helpline on 0808 800 5002, or pop into your local O2 store for help from a Guru.

https://www.o2.co.uk/help/nspcc

On Tuesday morning class 1 and 2 had a very informative talk from a representative of the council road safety team about safety as a pedestrian and the use of car seats. She talked about safe use of the pavement, how to cross a road and safe places to cross a road. She also went onto to talk about who should use a car seat and where children should sit.

Some interesting points about car seats to come out of the talk:

All children until they are 12 years old or under 135cm should use a car seat – which is most of class 1 and 2 and some of class 3.

 Children should not use the front passenger seat until they are 13.

If a child has to be seated in a front passenger seat then the seat must be moved back on its runners as far as it will go and/or turn the airbags off.

For more information and for a number of informative and enjoyable games then please visit www.togoandnogo.co.uk .

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Open the Book team for yet another amazing year of wonderful stories from the Bible, their dedication and enthusiasm is boundless. Their contribution to school life plays an important part in our success as a Christian school and was integral in achieving an excellent SIAMS outcome this year. THANK YOU!

We would also like to say a huge thank you to Pam Morton who is retiring from her role in Open the Book after 15 Years. We wish her all the best and look forward to seeing her in and around the village.

It is also a sad end to the year as one of the team, Pam Michaelson, passed away on Friday. She was a faithful member of the Open the Book team and will be missed by all. The school sends its love and prayers to Pam's family at this very difficult time.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Open the Book and there are special services across the country to celebrate this very special milestone. 

As part of the birthday celebrations the children were asked to produce a picture from one of their favourite Bible stories that Open the Book have dramatised. Every child took part and their drawings were amazing. These drawings were then taken to a special Open the Book birthday service.

In May Angela and Peter attended the special service at Gloucester Cathedral. There were representatives there from Open the Book schools from across the region. They had a fabulous day and have given the school a copy of the Order of Service (if you would like to see it then please feel free to pop in and ask).

I am sure that you will join me in wishing Open the Book a  Happy Birthday and also a huge thank you to the volunteers that give up their time and resources on a regular basis to help our children have a better understanding of the Bible.

On Tuesday 5th February it is Safer Internet Day. 

Safer Internet Day is celebrated globally in February each year in over a hundred countries to promote the safe and positive use of digital technology for children and young people and inspire a national conversation. Coordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre the celebration sees hundreds of organisations get involved to help promote the safe, responsible and positive use of digital technology for children and young people. The day offers the opportunity to highlight positive uses of technology and to explore the role we all play in helping to create a better and safer online community. It calls upon young people, parents, carers, teachers, social workers, law enforcement, companies, policymakers, and wider, to join together in helping to create a better internet.

This year the theme is 'Our internet, our choice'.

The day will empower young people to take control of their digital lives and consider how consent works in an online context. It explores how young people ask for, give and receive consent online. This could be in their friendships or relationships, how they take and share images and videos or how they manage their privacy and data.

For more information please go to our internet safety page or www.saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/2019

We will also be working alongside Kempsey and Welland Primary this week with some joint (if the technology works!) Safer Internet day activities.