Term 3 – Remote Learning

Dear Parent/Carer,

As I’m sure you are aware from the news, the landscape has changed once again due to COVID-19. The Scottish Government announced earlier in the week that although Shetland will remain in Level 3 (guidance around Level 3 can be found here – https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-protection-levels/pages/protection-level-3/), all schools across Scotland have to follow new guidance.

This guidance states that the festive holiday period will be extended to Friday 8^th of January. Most students will begin remote learning on Monday 11^th January until Friday 29^th January – all Primary will be issued with paper learning packs which will be distributed later this week or over the weekend. All Primary and Secondary pupils will also be added to their class Teams:

• Lower Primary and Upper Primary will have opportunity to use Teams to work with their class teacher at set times of the week – more details on this will follow.
• Secondary pupils have Teams created for each of their subjects – their class teachers will set work at the start of each week which can be completed from home. Weekly overviews will be shared with parents on a Monday morning to show the tasks/activities/work that are to be completed for each subject.
  • Teams is accessed online through Glow (https://glow.rmunify.com/) and each student has their own unique Glow login. Mr Spence will email Lower Primary parents the login details of their child following this email. Upper Primary and Secondary pupils already know/use Glow and will be aware of their login details. Anyone unable to access due to logins/passwords, internet connection or lack of laptop should contact me as soon as possible.
  • Those unfamiliar with Teams should watch this video – https://www.facebook.com/708941785785614/videos/2641563889392104

Some pupils are able to access school from the 7^th January – these are pupils with either Additional Support Needs or who are the children of key workers with no other childcare options, who have applied to the Local Authority and received confirmation of their place in school. Pupils in this category will be doing the same remote learning as their class from the 11^th January, although this will be done from within school supervised by a BJHS member of staff. Teachers, on the whole, will be setting work and engaging with pupils from home although Mr Spence (DHT) and I will be in school every day and are available to respond to parental queries and to support students/staff.

I appreciate this is not how we had hoped to start the new term, although hopefully cases in Shetland/Scotland will reduce to a level that allows us to open as normal, as soon as it is safe to do so.

If you have any questions about our return to school or remote learning or anything else, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Best wishes and happy new year to you all,

Paul.

Paul Thomson | Head Teacher | Baltasound Junior High School & Fetlar Primary School

T: 01595 807025 | E: paulthomson@shetland.gov.uk | W: http://www.unst/.org/web/bjhs and blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/sh/fetlarprimary/