Crew check-ins and lockdown leisure!

Timetable and tracking progress

Mr Portman released the new timetable on Monday and feedback from students has been positive. This will be updated every week with specific task details, so make sure you sign-up for website alerts so that you don’t miss this and other important posts.

I’ve been keeping track of academic progress and went through this with Crew during Thursday’s hangout, reminding them all of what needed to be done and by when. I’ve asked them to start using their Google calendar and to get into the habit of checking it everyday. Work due dates and hangout invites will all appear automatically in the calendar. Students can get to their calendar by logging onto the website and selecting it from the ‘other apps’ section:

Checking in

It’s been a wonderful week of catch-ups, not just with Crew but with other staff, too. The Y9 Phase Team (that’s Mr Smith, Mrs Poncia, Mr Pearson and myself) are meeting once a week just like we did when we were in school. We use this time to update on Crew, student progress, resolve any issues, make sure that every one is getting the support they need and plan for the week ahead. So yes, it’s business as usual – we’re just doing it in our living rooms instead!

I’ve also spent this week catching up with Crew individually. I really enjoyed this 1:1 time. It was great just to chat outside of our whole Crew hangouts and to find out how everyone’s coping with the whole lockdown situation. I’m also really pleased that most (not all!) are really focussed on their school work and are producing some beautiful work.

A massive well done to Thomas for working exceptionally hard on his maths and for smashing his MEG!

And well done to Kobe for working hard on his Art task.

Crew hangouts

Crew hangout time is my favourite time of the week!

Tuesday’s check-in was led by Ali, who asked us to choose three people we’d want to be stuck in a room with. We had to choose a celebrity, a family member and a friend. I had to google some of the celebrities the young ‘uns came up with – never heard of them! We then had a group discussion about the new timetable (which got a big thumbs up from Crew Finch!) and shared ideas on how we can strike the right balance between “school time” and “leisure time.”

Noah came up with Thursday’s check-in: If you could be any age, what would it be? The majority of Crew seem to think that 18 is the magic number: the age where they become an adult, leave school, buy cars and… go to the pub! As mentioned above, we also had an academic check-in. Just a couple of Crew members needed a gentle prod to get the work done (and we’ve had individual conversations about this, too), but other than that I’m really pleased with how everyone’s doing.

Every time I talk to Crew I mention the importance of self-care and why we must look after our mental wellbeing during this time. I encourage them all to switch off their consoles, get off social media, leave their rooms, go outside (observing social distancing measures, of course), get active, try something new or just do something they love!

So, with that in mind, we’ve decided to launched a new weekly feature called Lockdown Leisure (I know, it’s terrible – if you’ve got a better name, let me know!) Here, we’ll be showcasing some of the things we’re getting up to with our new found spare time at home.

So, ladies and gents, Crew Finch present <<insert fanfare here!>>

Lockdown Leisure, Edition 1 – featuring Noah, Tom, Ali and Mrs Parker!

Tom isn’t able to go to the gym or play Basketball at the moment, so has taken up running.
Ali has been spending quality time with her cat, Thelma (cute pet pics are always welcome!)
I’ve been crocheting rainbows!