Dear Parent/Carer and Student,

As we reach the end of the first half term of the academic year, I would like begin this newsletter by thanking members of our community for their commitment and positivity. The combined effort of all has contributed to a very successful start to the year.

Firstly, thank you to parents and carers for all that you have done to support your child’s continued engagement with school. Attendance to school has been very good so far this year from most students and positive cases of Coronavirus in the Baylis Court community have been low.

Secondly, I extend my thanks and commendation to so many fantastic students who have demonstrated an excellent attitude to learning this academic year. A significant number of students have been recognised in achievement assemblies this week for their excellent attendance, achievement points and contributions to the wider community. I am very proud of their commitment to the pursuit of excellence seen each day at Baylis.

And last, but not least, I want to thank our staff for all they continue to do to support students’ wellbeing and progress. Much has been achieved in classrooms and beyond already this year and we have lots to celebrate. In addition to the purposeful learning taking place in all classrooms, staff have been devoting their time to ensure that students are supported in their academic studies and the extra-curricular programme at Baylis. There will be more to follow on this later in the newsletter.

As you will, no doubt, have heard in the news, the national picture for Coronavirus shows that cases are rising. The increase in infection rates is shown clearly in Slough and East Berkshire and, as a result, Headteachers of all local schools have been asked to adopt additional measures to reduce the likelihood of virus transmission in our communities. Our response to this is outlined in my letter to all parents. The additional measures will take effect from the return to school on Monday, 1 November.

I wish all our students, staff, parents and carers a safe and restful break. I look forward to seeing you after half term.

Christine MacInnes

Actions to take if your child tests positive for COVID-19

If someone from your home has a positive lateral flow device (LFD) test taken at home:

• they should self-isolate straightaway and report their test result
• they should book a PCR test as soon as possible, either online, through the NHS COVID-19 app, or by calling 119
• they should continue to self-isolate whilst awaiting results of the PCR test
• any unvaccinated adults in their household should self-isolate whilst awaiting their PCR result, unless they are exempt
• Children under 18 ½ years old and adults who are double vaccinated do NOT need to isolate as a close contact unless they have symptoms or a postivie test result.

Well-being Top Tips

As we come to the end of the first term, we still may have moments where things seem a bit difficult. We could be feeling lots of emotions ranging from excitement to anxiety, and everything in between. This may cause some stress and uncertainty in yourself and it is important to know how to manage these feelings.

There are some simple things that you can do to look after your mental health over the half term, either by yourself or with other people. Here is our well-being mentor’s tips this week for looking after yourself:

Think Positive Thoughts Start every day on a positive note - Create a ritual in which you start off each day with something uplifting and positive. Such as, tell yourself that it’s going to be a great day or any other positive affirmation, listen to a happy and positive song or playlist, or share some positivity by giving a compliment or doing something nice for someone.

Practice positive self-talk - We tend to be the hardest on ourselves and be our own worst critic. Over time, this can cause you to form a negative opinion of yourself that can be hard to shake. To stop this, you’ll need to be mindful of the voice in your head and respond with positive messages.

Focus on the good things - Challenging situations and obstacles are a part of life. When you’re faced with one, focus on the good things no matter how small or seemingly insignificant they seem. If you look for it, you can always find the proverbial silver lining in every cloud — even if it’s not immediately obvious.

If you feel you need someone to talk to during the half term, there is free online support available at:

https://www.themix.org.uk/

https://www.kooth.com/

You can also text SHOUT to 85258 and chat by text. The service is free on most networks and available 24/7, and trained volunteers will listen to you, and work with you to help you take the next steps towards feeling better.

Squid Game on Netflix

It has been brought to our attention that a number of our pupils have been talking about the new Netflix series Squid Game, this is highly inappropriate for young children due to the extreme levels of violence and adult context portrayed. The show states this should not be viewed by anyone below the age of 15.

Please note that children are accessing scenes from Squid Games via places such as their TikTok accounts as it can pop up on their 'For You' page and therefore even if they are not searching for it, they can come across scenes which are disturbing.

Given the popularity, it's no surprise to see the challenges being acted out everywhere: in school, TikTok memes and challenges, Roblox games etc., so even if children aren't watching the series on Netflix, they will have heard about it from others or online.

Most of the concerns relate to the violence within the TV series, and it is very violent. Please take care to ensure the content your children are accessing is suitable and safe.

Here is some information on setting parental controls on streaming services

Book Review by Sara Ashaq

Skellig : David Almond

Star Rating – 5 *

Plot –

There is a man who lives in Young Michael’s basement but Michael and his family don’t know that. Michael and his friend Mina discover him. The plot twist is that, the man living there in the basement is an owl and his name is Skellig.

Characters -

The main characters are Michael, Mina and Skellig. My favourite is Mina because she is creative, artistic and has great ideas.

Your Opinion –

Yes I like the book because my favourite type of books are mystery books and Skellig is full of mysteries to unfold. My favourite part is when Michael had the dream of his litter sister in the nest.

Recommend – Yes I would recommend it because the book is very interesting and adventurous. There are also many plot twists, such as Skellig revealing that he is ‘something’, combining the aspects of human, owl & angel.

A first of a kind programme, bringing together thousands of 14 to 19-year-olds, from hundreds of state schools and colleges, across every corner of the UK, to a shared, virtual book club.

Over five weeks, young people and school facilitators will connect in the cloud from home, or project in a space on school campus, for our weekly event every Wednesday, 3.30pm to 4.30pm. Each week, we will cover three key elements: