Newsletter 3 Spring Term 2022

Covid19 Update
We currently have 2 children isolating following positive tests for Covid19. These children are in YR and Y5 and both appeared to have become infected from positive family members. We continue to do all we can to ensure our staff and pupils remain safe.

Smart Watches
Several children have come back this term with new Smart watches. This represents  a safeguarding risk if photos can be taken or messages sent and received on these devices whilst the children are in school. Please help us to keep all of our pupils safe to ensure that these functions are disabled during school time. Please also be aware that we do not recommend that the children wear expensive  devices in school as we cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage. 
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RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch

Be one in a million! In 2021, more than one million people took part in Big Garden Birdwatch, all coming together to look out for birds. Why not join in and be one in a million for 2022?
Shockingly, we’ve lost 38 million birds from UK skies in the last 50 years, so it really is vital we do all we can to look after our birdlife.
As a conservation charity, we depend on your support to save nature and to look after places where wildlife can thrive. By taking part in Big Garden Birdwatch, you can also make a difference. Wherever you are, whatever you see, it counts!
​SIGN-UP TO TAKE PART

Safeguarding

Social media and online safety - NSPCC

• Creating a safe environment
• Online communities
• Livestreaming
• Recording a live session
• Legislation and guidance

Using social media safely with children and young peopleThere are lots of benefits for children and young people when using social media. This includes staying connected with friends and family, enabling innovative ways of learning and creating new ways for them to express themselves.
It can also have many benefits to organisations, for example:

• staying in contact with children outside of face-to-face meetings, activities and events
• providing specialist support to children, such as counselling and therapy
• promoting events
• livestreaming activities and running online sessions.
• creating online groups, forums and communities.

But there are risks when you’re using social media to communicate with children.
Online risksChildren may be exposed to upsetting or inappropriate content online, particularly if the platform you’re using doesn’t have robust privacy and security settings or if you’re not checking posts. This content might be sexually explicit or it might be harmful in other ways, such as radicalisation, bullying, or content that's upsetting.
Children may be at risk of being groomed if they have an online profile that means they can be contacted privately.
Children’s posts or profile information may expose personal information and put them at risk. For example, they may talk about their home life, feelings, or thoughts they’ve been having. There may be information that makes them identifiable such as locations of events they are taking part in or visual clues in photographs. Perpetrators may use this information to groom, abuse or exploit children.
Perpetrators of abuse may create fake profiles to try to contact children and young people through the platform you’re using, for example an adult posing as a child. They may also create anonymous accounts and engage in cyberbullying or trolling. People known to a child can also perpetrate abuse.
On many platforms, children can be contacted anywhere and at any time through private messaging or notification alerts. This means it’s harder for them to escape from abusive messages or upsetting content that they are tagged in.
> Read about protecting children from grooming
> Find out more about cyberbullying
> Find out more about protecting children from online abuse

​Train to Teach with the Dartmoor Teacher Training Partnership

For more information, please view the document below, or click here.
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PTA News

Thank you to all those who have donated gifts for future raffles and Christmas clothing that has been outgrown. We will continue to collect these items so please give all donations to the school office or to a member of the PTA!
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​The 2 Challenge
How about joining us for our 2 Challenge on 2nd February (2.2.22). Please can the children bring in at least 2 coins with the number 2 on (2p, 20p or £2) but feel free to bring in more if you'd like! The teachers will collect the coins and weather permitting children will make them into a giant number 2 on the playground, and let's see how much we can raise from all the 2s!

​School Disco
Back by popular demand, we are holding a disco on Friday 11th, so get out your glad rags and your dancing shoes! If you have not received a letter yet you should do so early this week.
It will be the same format as last term but with an additional slot for the preschool class:
3.00pm - 3.25pm Preschool
3.30pm - 4.30pm Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.
4.45pm - 5.45pm Year 3 and Year 4.
6pm - 7pm Year 5 and 6
 
Dates for the diary – more information to follow!
 
Pancake day – Tuesday 1st March
 
Break the rules day – Friday 1st April
 
Ground Force Day – help to tidy up the school grounds Saturday 30th April
 
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 15th February via Zoom and we will send a link around closer to the date. If you'd like to get involved then email southtawtonpta@gmail.com
As always thank you for your ongoing support from all on the PTA.