Millfields will be continue to be open for the children of critical workers from Tuesday 2nd June.

For more information on plans for wider opening, please see below:

• Tuesday 2^nd June – School will be open for children of critical workers and vulnerable children
• Tuesday 2^nd June – Friday 12^th June – There will be a phased return for pupils with EHCPs
• Monday 15^th June – School will reopen only for Reception children who have already agreed to return  -Monday and Tuesday
• Monday 22^nd June – School will reopen only for Year 1 children who have already agreed to return  -Wednesday and Thursday
• Monday 29^th June – School will reopen only for year 6 children who have already agreed to return x 8 days only

Dear All, I hope you have all had a good week, and have enjoyed the sunshine, been out in the park or your garden with your family - socially distanced of course, but also hope that you have been enjoying your home learning activities on animals, and in particular endangered animals. We have all loved seeing your work.

As you know, we have also been thinking about our mental health and well-being this week, as part of National Mental Health Awareness Week. I hope that you received the information sheet via your class that signposts websites and Apps that might be of help. Of course, now more than ever, we all need to be looking after our mental health, and looking after each other -our family and friends, as we continue in lockdown, and keep in mind that we need to take care and be safe in our homes and the wider community. Please do contact one of us at school if there is anything you might need help or support with; and there are also a few spaces left with the CAMHS worker via the email that Debi sent last week.

This weekend marks the end of Ramadan for our Muslim families, and I know this year, of course, coronavirus lockdown measures in place around the world mean that the communal festivities around Eid will be largely restricted. I have put a poster in this Mag that gives you some guidance issued by the British Muslim Council about celebrating Eid during lockdown. Even though I know that your Eid celebrations might not be as extended as they usually are, I hope you enjoy your special day - a very happy 'Eid Mubarak' to you all!

Thank you to everyone for all your correspondence and for submitting your decisions, and answering phone calls around the potential widening of provision at school. Currently, the draft plan that I sent out yesterday means that more children, in addition to Key Worker children may be returning to school from 2nd or 8th of June. However, as I write this, information from SAGE, means that it is already looking possible, that any re-start date may be pushed back to 15th June, but I will of course, keep you updated. This is a tough time for us all, and I really appreciate your support, cooperation and understanding.

Finally, next week is half term, so there will be no Zoom calls from your class teachers, but there is a Homework Overview that you may have already seen, but has also be sent out by me, that encourages you to take a break from your home schooling routine, and spend more time with your family and friends - enjoying some fresh air, while still continuing to socially distance and keep yourself safe. The overview gives you some ideas of how to share your existing learning in a variety of interesting and innovative ways. I think you will all be great at doing this, but of course, there is no expectation to do any or all of it.

The next Zoom meeting will be on Wednesday 3rd June. Before I sign off, I also want to say farewell and good luck to Rachel, Anning Class teacher, who is going on maternity leave from today. I am sure that you will all join me in wishing her the best of luck, and we look forward to meeting her new born baby soon.

Have a lovely weekend and enjoy half term.

Take care, keep well, and stay safe. Jane

Millfields will be closed until further notice from the end of the day on Friday 20th March.

The school will continue to provide care and educational activities for the children of parents who are key workers. Please continue to check here for more information and news and for updates on home learning.

We will also be giving out meals to those pupils eligible for free school meals, and who have indicated that they require one.

Please see the latest letter from the Headteacher, regarding government guidance and information on school provison here

Please continue to regularly check the website and read the weekly update below.

Hello everyone,

I hope that you have all had a good week of home learning and enjoyed time doing all the amazingly creative and diverse activities that I have seen in your photos and emails.I must give a special mention to Ellie in Whiteread Class for the amazing pirate ship that she made in her living room, and to Sol in Makintosh Class who created a brilliant quiz all about animals! I do love a quiz and I will be trying it online later!

You may know that the organisation Young Hackney have been running art competitions, and I am really proud to announce that Millfield's super artist Chieyeim in Y3 Mackintosh Class won the competition. Chieyiem drew a fantastic picture of what she can see from her window! You can see the picture inside the Mag.  Chieyiem has kindly agreed to bring the picture into school and allow us to hang it in the main reception area! Thanks and big congratulations!

Hello everyone!

Well another week of home learning has been completed and I wanted to say a huge ‘thank you’ to all of the children and their families for trying to make this happen as best as they can, in some difficult, try-ing and varying situations. I am aware that some families have lots of children of varying ages trying to access emails, zoom calls and other online learning platforms, as well as some families with very young pre-school siblings, as well as in some cases, one or two parents or adults in the house trying to work from home. I appreciate that this is a new normal for us all, so please just try to keep in touch via one of the mediums each week - email, Edmodo, Zoom meeting, so that we know you are doing okay. If you need any support, in any way, please email info@millfields.hackney.sch.uk and someone will get back to you to offer solutions and support.

Thank you so much to all the children who are sending in their completed work. This week we have seen some amazing artwork, some great videos, brilliant science lessons, and some extremely creative descriptions of new animals inEnglish, as well as a whole story book being written and some very imaginative 'rooms in a box'. I know that lots of the seeds that you planted have started growing quite tall, so please remember to keep a diary of their growth and let us see those photos too! Well done to all of you! Of course, a huge 'thank you' to all the teachers for all their brilliant effort to plan and prepare weekly activities, and to engage as many of you as possible in home learning through the variousmeans. Zoom meetings seem to be working well, so many thanks for getting your child to engage.

We, as a teaching staff, are constantly reviewing the use of Zoom and how the meetings are working. Thank you for the feedback that some of you have sent, it will be considered. I also just wanted to ask again that you are aware of a few things. Every meeting has its own ID and password as part of our Safeguarding Policy; please ensure that your child is logged in on time as the room will be locked 5 minutes after the start time and there will be no entry; please make sure that the child's name is not changed during the meeting; please do not record any part of the meeting via another device.

If you are learning to play an instrument, and I do hope that you are keeping up the practice at home. Please note that Roz and Tom will be organising virtual music concerts in the next few weeks. Please email Roz by the end of today if you would like your child to take part.

I would also like to say a big, big 'thank you' to the PSA, who, at the beginning of lockdown, very generously donated some beautiful reading books, writing books, art sketchbooks, as well as full pencil cases, to give out to pupils who may not have these things at home. The families in receipt of them so far have been very appreciative, so thank you so much everyone for continuing to donate to the PSA funds. We are currently looking for any donations of laptops for our children who don't have one at home. If you know of, or work for a company who might be able to donate or buy laptops for us, please get in touch.

Finally, I wanted to wish Alex, Baylis Class teacher, a very happy maternity leave. Her little boy is due in 2 weeks, so we will keep you posted and hopefully have a photo to share soon.

Have a relaxing weekend, stay well, take care and stay safe. Jane

Well, we are at the end of the first week of the Summer term. The weather has certainly been lovely, but I know that we are all just trying to settle into our 'new normal' routines. Thank you to all the children, parents and families for the overwhelmingly positive support for our approach to home learning. I appreciate that it is difficult for us all to 'work from home', while juggling home learning, sometimes for more than 2 children, as well as organise zoom meetings, and just get on with all the duties in general life - cleaning, cooking etc. I think you are all doing amazingly well, and I can still feel and see the Millfields spirit and community in all the emails, photos, messages that are coming to all the staff every day! Thank you for being you!

It has been great for the staff and children to get together on class zoom meetings this week. We hope that you are all finding them a valuable means of communication, and a way for your children to stay in touch with each other and speak to their teacher, as well as share their learning. We are constantly reviewing the security and protocol for using Zoom, and have written some guidelines for parents and carers that are with the Mag today. Please make sure you read it and share the relevant parts with your child/ren. As previously stated, we hope that you are finding the daily structure helpful, but again, there is no pressure to do all of the work set. We would like the children to join at least one of the Zoom meetings and complete as many of the tasks/activities as the children and you feel able to.

Today marks the first day of fasting for Ramadan for our Muslim community, and I wanted to wish you all 'Ramadan Mubarak' and hope that even in lockdown, this month enables you, even more than ever to practise spiritual devotion through prayer, give support and help each other and charities, as well as strengthen family ties and community spirit, albeit in you own home and not through the customary communal prayers at mosque and family gatherings to break your fast.

The Muslim Council of Britain have produced a very useful guide, that can be found on the school website and will be sent via email later today that outlines how to adapt Ramadan activities in the light of Covid-19. Please have a read and use it for yourself and/or to guide and support your children during this important month, during these unusual and unchartered times.

All of the staff are definitely missing you all and we have put together a video message from us all. A huge 'thank you' to all the staff for participating, and especially to Bruno who had the initial idea and has put the whole thing together. It brings a big smile, and also a tear to my eye, so I know you will love it too! The link will be in the Mag and will be sent via email as well later today.

Again, I hope that you are also enjoying some of the sunshine during your daily exercise. There are so many lovely green areas in Hackney - you are very lucky, so make the most of a walk, run, cycle or scoot with your family.

Please take care, stay well and stay safe.

Jane