I hope that you are managing to keep home life relatively sane at this extraordinary time. There is a lot of information available online as we move into the first week of school closure, and I thought I should signpost some of it which you might find helpful.
I do hope that as the week goes on, your child(ren) will settle into the rhythms of online lessons and will be able to keep their education going remotely. I am aware, however, that all BGS parents are likely to be facing the same challenges at home, namely: how to talk to your child about the coronavirus, how to keep them safe and well, and also how to keep them occupied and entertained at home.
Parentzone is, as usual, a reliable and useful source of information for parents. The article Coronavirus: what you need to know gives sensible advice about how the virus spreads, what to do to avoid getting ill, keeping devices clean at home, what to do if you notice symptoms etc. Two further articles provide 10 ways to safely entertain your kids at home and tips for starting a coronavirus conversation with your child.
There are also various sources for ideas and resources to support your family’s mental health, which will not only be affected by the disruption and anxiety about the situations we are all facing but also by the pressures of being homebound for so long a time. The Children’s Society also has some tips on Self-Isolating and Dealing with Conflict at Home.
Perhaps the most useful resource I have found online so far comes from the Heads Together Toolkit. It includes help for teachers, parents, and young people from the Anna Freud Centre with some really good videos, a comic strip and links to self-care strategies.
Your children will want to find information for themselves and steering your child to the excellent Young Minds website might be helpful. It is not only full of sensible advice (arm yourself with the facts but don’t overexpose yourself to the news, keep a routine, how to deal with self-isolation etc.) but it also has links to and information about helplines (including Childline, the Samaritans, The Mix and Young Mind’s crisis messenger).
And finally, How to look after your mental health during the coronavirus crisis has sensible advice from the BBC, and you may wish to refer to the regularly updated information from the NHS, the World Health Organisation and Public Health England.
As explained in the letter sent home by the Headmaster last week, pastoral care will continue to be available to all students who need our support, from their form tutor, Head of Year or others in the wider pastoral team. Jo Rutter, our School Counsellor, and Sally Martindale and Kelly Mistry are all available to respond to emails or phone calls, to offer advice and help if you need it.
Please do let us know if there is any way in which we can support your child as this challenging situation plays out.
“Pastoral care will continue to be available to all students who need our support, from their form tutor, Head of Year or others in the wider pastoral team. “
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