Mr Applegate

A short newsletter from us this week. The main message is around Google Classroom. Please can I encourage you to watch some of the help videos here. They give an overview and may save you some time!

And don’t forget our FOSM fund raiser is still going! Thank you!

Have a great week, Mr Applegate

Google Classroom

Today we launch Google Classrooms. A few common issues and questions:

• How do I login? classroom.google.com on a computer or use the app.
• Need help with passwords? Click here and complete the Reset Password form.
• Not yet registered or received the password reset link? Check your spam/junk folder first, and then click here.
• Logged in, but not showing any classes? Switch your Google account to ensure it’s the school one, not your personal one.
• Need help? Watch an introduction and help videos here.
• How do I give in the work? No need to email it, just click on ‘hand-in‘ or ‘submit’. The staff will then take a look, and then return it.
• Can I still do work on paper and submit it? Yes, this can be done through G/C. Watch the help videos to find out more.
• Why the change? 4 main reasons: 1) Improves communication and feedback of learning. 2) Safer 3) More efficient for teachers 4) Website requires high maintenance from teachers & staff, losing valuable child support time.

Google Meet

• What is it? Our online video meeting app
• Are we still Zooming? No, but we’re ‘Meeting’ using Google’s inbuilt tool called Google Meet. Zoom is now replaced by Meet.
• Is it safe? Yes, because we have more control over it and requires a school login, it is safer.
• When will it happen? At least once a week – see the schedule here
• What do I need? The same as zoom – a computer or mobile. Yes, it’s free, and there is an app from the AppStore or PlayStore. Search ‘Google Meet’

Google Meet weekly schedule

Thank you from Rev May and Immanuel Church Members

Well done for sending in the posters for members of Immanuel Church. Read below some of their responses:

• Thank you so much for sharing! They are really lovely pictures.
• Such beautiful pictures ! Just the thing to give us a smile on this wet & gloomy day.
• I just wanted to say thank you so much for the lovely pictures you sent Rev May. They are all so beautiful very colourful and with so much detail. For someone like me, not even going out for a walk apart from the garden and friends doing my shopping It makes such a difference. Thank you for being so kind and thinking of others.
• Thank you! George’s handy work is the dove – he drew it with the new magic pens he received for this birthday. He was so pleased to see it attached to the email and hopes it make his friends at Immanuel smile!
• These are beautiful pictures. Thank you for sending me some I really appreciate it.
• Please say thank you to them. I pray for God’s protection for each and everyone. God bless. Thank you.
• These pictures are lovely, as I walk round the streets of Hatch Warren I see lovely colourful pictures in the windows everywhere you go. very positive and uplifting.
• What lovely colourful pictures you made. They really made me smile and cheered me up on this wet and dreary morning, so thank you for sharing them.
• You are right to be hopeful about the future. The rainbow is a symbol of hope that God gave us, through Noah. Things will return to normal once again and I think we should have a great big party to celebrate.
• How lovely, thank you. We have a rainbow on our window too courtesy of Katie a few weeks ago!
• Thank you so much children from St. Mark’s School, your colourful, wonderful art work has made a dull day shine!!!
• What beautiful bright pictures during a time that can be so dark. Thank you for lighting the way and showing me that in all of this there is still much beauty.
• Thank you for your pictures they made me smile!
• What lovely pictures these are! Thank you very much for drawing them, what a great reminder for all of us to keep our Hope, Faith and Love at these times! Thank you.

Read the latest info from Hatch Warren Community Centre here

Dear parents,

Action required – register here – only takes a minute!

From Monday 11th May, we are going live with Google Classrooms (GC). You must register before then for your child to use GC.

GC is the new way that we will set home learning tasks, improve responding to work, and hold more regular class meets (like Zoom). If you don’t register, you won’t be able to take part in these online class meets or access the home learning tasks.

What happens:

• Register your child here by Friday 8th May at 5pm.
• The teacher(s) of the class with the highest number of registrations by Friday 5pm will receive a £20 voucher from Mr Applegate (not from school funds though!)
• You can still register after that point, and you must do so before Monday.
• Soon after 5pm, you’ll receive the login details for your child and a quick introduction video of how to use GC.

All home learning tasks and online meets will be on Google Classrooms, and only on Google Classrooms, so it is vital that you register before Monday.

GC is safer, easier to maintain, and improves interaction between child and teacher. Whilst the website has been good so far (thanks for your feedback!) it is a lot of work for teachers and difficult to maintain. It’s not really built for supporting learning, particularly compared to Google Classrooms. To find out more more about what Google Classrooms is and why we are using it, click here.

If you have any questions, please email us at this address: help@stmarksce.org.uk

Mr Applegate