Good Afternoon,

It is wonderful this week to be able to share some fantastic news, our application to the National Lottery Awards for All has been successful. We have obtained a Community Play grant to enhance the outdoor area in the reception playground. We are hoping that the equipment will be installed during the summer term.

I am delighted to be able to tell you that Dan and Emily from One Life Music have kindly recorded a liturgy for schools and home. This will be a weekly event from now on. This week you will be able to access it through the link below.It is such a wonderful way to bring us together as a community of prayer and I am sure that we will all be strengthened by it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL-kS4ZP6hs&feature=youtu.be

I would like to bring your attention to a staffing change in Year 4, as their current teacher, Mrs Neri, will be leaving Saint Ambrose in July to take on new challenges. During the summer term Mrs Neri will teach Year 4 on a Monday and Friday.

Mrs McCormack, will be taking on the role of Year 4 class teacher and will be teaching the class on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

So many children are feeling worried and anxious right now, the books below will help alleviate some of their fears. 

https://www.flipsnack.com/CSKidsBooks/what-s-going-on.html

https://nursedottybooks.com/dave-the-dog-is-worried-about-coronavirus-2/

The Jesuit Fathers provide an excellent resource for prayer and meditation. If you go on-line to www.loyolapress.com you will see that it provides a three minute daily retreat. This is an excellent way of doing something extra by way of prayer for the season of Lent. Just follow the instructions when accessing the reflection. The meditations provided are accompanied by scripture references and gentle background music.

NHS Nightingale are looking for pictures and messages of HOPE drawn by children to decorate the bare walls of the new hospitals that are being erected during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Please encourage your child to draw a picture and see the link below on how to submit it to NHS Nightingale.

I would like to re-assure you that we will still be here for you throughout the period of school closure. You may just want a chat about how your child is dealing with the changes so please call 01562 823568 or email office@st-ambrose.worcs.sch.uk.

We care very much about you and your child.  Crucially, we are acutely aware of the need to look after you and your child's mental wellbeing.  We want you to know that we will do all we can to try to retain some form of normality and routine in your child's life.  We also want to support their education so they are not disadvantaged during the closure.

By working on the educational tasks set on the class pages, children will reduce a sense of boredom or frustration. This will improve their mood and feelings. We endeavour to update our class pages regularly with new ideas so please keep checking. We have just started adding daily literacy activities to supplement the tasks identified on the weekly home learning plans. Please start week 3 on Monday 20th April, the reason for this is that we would like you to all have some family time and time to prepare for the Easter Celebration.

I have encouraged all the children to wear their school jumper while they work and to send their photo to office@st-ambrose.worcs.sch.uk. We will tweet regular photos, challenges, activities and uplifting quotes. Please follow us we will be there to support you.

@ambrose_primary

Childnet has recently updated some of their internet safety resources for parents and carers. 

The new suite of resources can help the whole family to stay safe online.

Childnet has a dedicated area to support parents and carers with information on key online safety topics, advice and activities to share with your child.

You can access the new resources here: www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers

If your child has got their first smartphone, then this app, which has been developed by the BBC, may be of interest to you.

A specially designed interactive custom keyboard is downloaded with the app. As the child types using the keyboard, depending on the content of their text, safety and wellbeing questions and reminders are given on the screen. If, for example, your child is typing personal information, such as a mobile number or email address, the app will intervene and tell the child to ‘think safe’ before sharing. Everything your child types is kept completely private, and never leaves the ‘Own It’ app on their phone.

The BBC explains, the app can help in ‘supporting their digital wellbeing, showing them how to make smarter and better informed choices and helping them grow into confident, positive and happy digital citizens.’

To find out more visit: https://www.bbc.com/ownit/take

Family Time:

Click on the link to take you to a history quiz that has been shared by Raring-2-Go.

Let us know how you get on!

We are so proud of all of your efforts to continue to learn at home. To our pupils, parents and carers, keep up the good work!

Keep a look out in The Kidderminster Shuttle for a news article written by Jess in Year 5 called ‘Coronavirus crisis but what are the food banks getting?’

We want to develop your life skills at St Ambrose and need your help to develop it. Please complete the survey online so Miss Brewer can put together an exciting life skills curriculum. You will find the life skills survey tab on our school website (below the 'contact us' tab on the home page) and there will also be a link on the class pages.

We know it can be hard to stick to a routine, so we have provided you with a timetable as an idea of how you can structure your day (see timetable for year 3).

You will see 'PE with Joe Wicks' timetabled at 9am every day.  Joe Wicks is a Body Coach, and he will be providing children of all ages with daily 30 minute PE lessons.  His videos are published on his Youtube Channel.

Worcestershire County Council have launched a new public campaign called here Here2Help, this is a useful link for us all. On their webpage they have a keeping kids entertained section and five ways we can look after ourselves and others.

Here are some ideas from the NHS website of what you can do as a family to support your wellbeing:

You can also go for a walk outdoors if you stay more than 2 metres from others.

Please keep in touch.  We will get through this together.

Please click the link below to see the letter from WHP detailing contact details for help and support to all families.

Please see the letter below from WMRSASC.

Both of the above letters are also available to view on the school website under the news section.

In these challenging and surreal times, confined to our homes, it is easy to forget that the season of Easter is upon us and Holy Week starts on Sunday. More than ever though, this year, the Year of the Word takes on a new significance and with Church closed we need to look to the Bible to nourish our faith and provide spiritual support, comfort and guidance.

Holy Week is the Church’s most solemn week where God leads us to a deeper understanding and knowledge of the mystery of our faith.  We are going to jump forward on our journey with St Matthew to Chapter 21: 1 -11 The Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem. This Sunday is called Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday. It is the day we remember Jesus entering Jerusalem as a king. Yet even though the people lined the streets welcoming the Messiah by waving palms and shouting Hosanna, we are reminded of his humility – the servant king, the suffering servant riding on a donkey. 

Just as the crowd spread their cloaks and palms on the road as Jesus passed by, we too are called to spread ourselves in service and adoration, praying and reflecting on the meaning of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Unfortunately, this year we are unable to come together as a community and receive palms ourselves at Mass on Sunday, therefore we need to mark this special day in a different way and make Holy Week as memorable as ever.

On the class pages section of the website the tab 'Spiritual Support' has a link to a special Sunday Liturgy for families which I urge you to set some time aside for on Sunday to share together as a family.

There is also a link to Daily Prayers to say at home where you will find a simple prayer service to say together for each day of Holy week.

St Matthew’s Gospel also gives a simple account of the events of Holy Week, which could be shared together each day:

Monday: Jesus goes to the Temple: Matt 21: 12 – 17

Holy Thursday: Jesus Eats the Passover Meal with his Disciples (The Last Supper): Matt 26: 17 – 35 and Jesus prays in Gethsemane and the arrest of Jesus: Matt 26: 36 - 75

Good Friday: Jesus is Sentenced to Death, Dies and is buried in the tomb: Matt 27: 15 – 66

Easter Sunday: The Resurrection: Matt 28: 1 – 10

To help find these special events in the Bible perhaps the children would like to make a special bookmark in the shape of a palm using the idea below.

Please send pictures of your bookmarks to office@st-ambrose.worcs.sch.uk as we would love to share them on the website.

For your own personal development try reading the Bible in a year using an app such as Bible in One Year.

Traditionally Lent is a time, where during the 40 days leading up to Easter, we think about Jesus’ time in the desert refusing to give into temptation, so we give up something such as chocolate or crisps. Father Lamb also reminded the children that this is a time where we can also do something extra, particularly in this Year of the Word. He suggested they think of it in terms of the 3 R’s: Repent, Reflect and Retreat – saying sorry to God and each other, taking time to think about what Jesus tells us in the Bible about how God wants us to behave towards each other and  spending quiet time to get to know God better and think about how we should follow Jesus’ example.

During this difficult time, perhaps you could take a few minutes a day to do some form of relaxation - I’ve found lots of free music on my Alexa. I’ve started a gratitude journal, each day I write 3 things I’m grateful for, this helps to focus on the positive’s we have in our lives. You could paint, do some mindfulness colouring or just sit in your back garden and listen to the birds singing.

Stay safe, thinking of you all Mrs Wallace. 

Please access the link below for mindfulness activities that you and your child can do at home.

Visit https://speechandlanguage.info/parents for lots of speech and language resources, advice and tips for parents working at home with their children who have SLCN.

Hello Reception,

I hope you have had a great week of home learning. Thank you for all the photos I have received. Did you enjoy my story?  After Easter you are still going to be the 'Fairytale Expert's before changing to the  'Holiday Experts'. Keep practising your story writing and I would love to hear some of them so email them into school. You may be receiving some letters from fairytale characters on your class page so keep an eye out.

I am still missing you but I know you are all working hard at home. Sending a claw of applause to you all this week.

Love Miss Brewer x x 

Our topic next term is 'The Enchanted Woodland'.

If you go down to the woods today you’re in for a BIG surprise. Foxes and badgers, voles and mice, beady eyed owls in the swaying treetops. Beneath the leaves are tiny footprints – but from which animal? Deciduous or evergreen? Can you match a leaf to its tree? Can you match a petal to its flower? Do pine cones know it’s raining? Our next topic is all about science but with a few surprises thrown in. Year One’s new topic starts Monday 27th April.

Dear Year 2,

I hope you are all keeping well and staying busy at home. Keep up all of your hard work but take a moment over Easter to be thankful for your wonderful families. I am looking forward to hearing about all the work you have been doing at home when we are back at school.

In the summer term we will be looking at all things that wriggle and crawl! We will be focusing on mini beasts and discovering how bugs and critters travel, how they live and what they eat. We will be using lots of exciting science equipment to help us investigate, observe and research into a range go creepy crawlies. 

Best wishes to you and your families,

Mr Pitt.

Hi Year 3!
I hope you have enjoyed your home learning the past couple of weeks, and enjoy having a break for Easter filled with lots of family time and play!
After the Easter holidays your new topic will be 'Predator' so there will be some fun activities shared on the Class Page, and you'll be able to do your own research too!

Stay safe,

Lots of love from Miss Ballard.

Dear Year 4, Parents and Carers, 

This half term topic is titled: BLUE ABYSS. We’ll visit a virtual aquarium to gain an insight into the ocean world. We’ll sketch different creatures and create clay sculptures of our favourite. Using maps, globes and atlases, we’ll identify the world’s oceans and seas. We’ll also find different ways of grouping living things. As a challenge, we’ll create model submarines using recycled materials and program an onscreen submarine. We’ll study Antony Gormley’s Another Place sculpture and write reviews. After locating the Great Barrier Reef on a map, we’ll learn about the risks it faces. At the end of the topic, we’ll listen to the soothing sounds of whale songs and perhaps write ballads about whales. 

Mrs Neri

Hi Year 5,

I hope you and your families are safe and well and that you have all had a good week. I am thinking of you all and I miss teaching you all.  I look forward to hearing all about what you have been up to!

Here is a lovely prayer that I saw on CAFOD (based on a prayer from the Bishops of Africa and Madagascar) and I thought that it would lovely that even though we are not together right now we could all say this prayer when we are at home. 

“God of hope, love and mercy,

 We pray with our global family,

For everyone affected by the virus that is spreading in our world. 

We pray for our sisters and brothers who are ill,

especially those in poor communities without healthcare. 

We prayer for the doctors and nurses.

 Help governments and health authorities to make wise decisions for the good of everyone. 

We pray that medicine for the sickness with be quickly found. 

Hold us all in your merciful love."

Amen.

Our topic next term is ‘Allotment’ with a Geography focus.

Let’s grow! A crispy carrot, a luscious lettuce or a tasty tomato. Dig deep and put your back into it, making your own tubs and planters and nurturing your greens. Harvest your crops and make soups and dishes of seasonal foods that taste delicious. Learn about farms and where food comes from, writing reports on worldwide produce. Include garden crafts. After all that hard work, have your fingers gone green?

Did you know?

Please look at spiritual support page, that you will find under the class pages tab, on the school website.

Keep a look out on our website (Year 5 class page) for some home learning activities based on our topic  ‘Allotment’. Also keep a look out on the St Ambrose website for the Year 5 summer planning sheet.

Take care,

Miss Crumpler.

Hi everyone. 

Hope you have had a good week and have been keeping yourselves busy. I have been busy looking at our next curriculum topic which is 'Hola Mexico'. Here's a snippet of what we will be doing:

Get ready to explore this unique country, from its towering temples and stunning geography to its pulsing rhythms and fun-packed festivals. Tummy rumbling? We will concoct a traditional fruit cocktail or delicious Mexican meal. What’s on your shopping list? We will discover the mysterious world of the ancient Maya civilisation: make their chocolate, play their ball game and follow all their curious rituals. You will Just need to try to keep your head! Feel like celebrating? We can design a flute, grab a drum, join a tribe and make some noise! Have you got what it takes to be chief? We will find out…

I have also read you all one of my favourite rhyming stories: 'Oi Frog' so as your parents to help you check out my reading on our school facebook page.

Missing you.

Take care and see you all soon. 

Miss Holtom

This week we have used Facebook as a tool to keep pupils engaged with reading.

We have uploaded a new story onto the TAPP Facebook page everyday for the children to enjoy.

Their page can be found if you search within Facebook for; St Ambrose Primary School Teacher And Parent Partnership .

These are worrying times for anyone but it can be particularly hard for children, some of whom will struggle to comprehend why they can no longer see their friends at school.

With schools across the UK closing and people being urged to step up social distancing, communities are rallying round to bring a little brightness to young ones amid the gloom.

Please brighten your community by displaying the beautiful rainbows in your windows at home.

Send us a photo of a rainbow in your window to office@st-ambrose.worcs.sch.uk

If your child has music lessons at school then Severn Arts will continue to teach your child via didgital online lessons.

Please click on the document below that will advise you how you can take advantage of this.

HOLY WEEK

Liturgies during Holy Week will be live streamed from Saint Chad's Cathedral  and the principal ceremonies will be celebrated in the Cathedral by Archbishop Bernard. Please set aside some time  to participate through the live stream facility together as a family.

Palm Sunday (Sun 5 April) – 11am
Daily Mass (Mon 6 and Tues 7 April) – 12.15pm
Mass of Holy Chrism (Wed 8 April) – 11.30am
Mass of the Last Supper (Thurs 9 April) – 7.30pm
Solemn Liturgy, Good Friday (Fri 10 April) – 3pm
Easter Vigil Mass (Sat 11 April) – 8pm
Easter Sunday Mass (Sun 12 April) – 11am
Easter Monday Mass (Mon 13 April) – 10am

Kind regards,

Mrs Brocklesby