Thursday 2nd April

Hello all. I hope you’ve had a good day? Many of your teachers have been phoning your home this week and I have been hearing all about the things you have been doing. We have had some great feedback about your online learning - well done all. Keep it up!

The blog last Friday was all about the ‘clapping’ that took place on the Thursday evening to show support for our NHS workers. I am sure many of you will be clapping again tonight. Many communities are showing great support towards each other throughout these unprecedented times and I think it is something we should be proud of as a nation.

At Olive Hill we continue to look for ways that we can support our community and show compassion towards others. Just before the school closed many of you wrote letters for people in care homes, this was particularly important as many of the residents are not allowed visitors at the moment and your letters and pictures really cheered them up. This is something you can still do from your own home. This week the children of our critical workers made bookmarks and cards for NHS workers to say thank you for everything they are doing to save people’s lives. You can see some of the examples in the blog picture.

There are many different ways that people are helping in their communities. People have been doing the shopping for their neighbours who are in household isolation, picking up prescriptions from the doctors, dog walking, making and delivering meals, and generally just checking that people are well. Have you done anything to support your community? We would love to hear about it if you have.

You are all a part of the Olive Hill community and despite being very spread out at the moment as we stay in our own homes, everyone is still a very special part of this community. We are having to do things in different ways, such as providing your learning online, phoning and emailing you - we want you to know that we care about all of you lots and lots and we miss you.

Next week, and the week after, will be the Easter holidays - do you think it will feel like a holiday? Your school grown-ups have volunteered to come into the school over their holidays so we can continue to provide care for the children of critical workers - how awesome is that! They will even come in on the bank holidays. You will not have any online learning for the two weeks, but we have set you daily activities and challenges, plus our art project will start on Monday. There is plenty to keep you occupied.

Speaking of our art project, or art adventure as Mr Brady calls it, I have had a sneak preview of the slides today - I can’t wait to start drawing and hopefully develop my artistic skills. I really hope that you and your families will get involved with the project. We have started to create a space in school to display all of the art work that you complete at home (and your grown-ups if they’d like to send in their art as well). It started with Miss Thacker and Mrs Waldron taking down some displays and has ended up with them actually painting the walls - I am not sure how Mr Weston feels about it at the moment, but I am sure he will be smiling when he sees your lovely art on display.

Thank you to all of community who continue to stay safe and stay home (unless travel is essential), in this way you are supporting everyone.

In tomorrow’s blog we will looking at some of the funny things that have happened since the school closed including Miss Walters and the chocolate cake, Miss Grasby running through mud and other humorous tales.

Stay safe everyone

Hannah Grasby19/20