From the Head
Dear Parents,
I hope you and your family are safe and well.
No doubt, many of you will feel great disappointment at the recent news that we will not be returning to school directly after half-term, as hoped. Whilst the latest government announcement that we will not return before March may be frustrating, I am grateful that as a school we are equipped and ready to continue to support the children with their Remote Learning. To that end, thank you for taking the time to complete our Remote Learning survey. We had a huge response and we are grateful to you for your support and the constructive feedback given; it is all helpful as we continue to review and improve our provision in pursuit of excellence. We have taken time to digest this information and you will see in separate correspondence some changes that will be implemented as a result.
I am mindful that these are difficult days for us all and as a school we are keen to do everything possible to support our whole community. I am therefore delighted to announce that we will be welcoming Dr Aric Sigman to hold a virtual webinar for the St Michael’s community on Thursday 11th February at 8pm. The hour-long presentation and Q&A will focus on our increased screen time due to lockdown, as well as offering useful tips for finding balance in our working days.
Dr Sigman is an expert on the impact of screen time, guided by his experience as a chartered psychologist, Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, and member of the Royal Society of Medicine, among other titles. Dr Sigman holds a BA, MA and phD in Psychology, and is a regular contributor to parliamentary reports and journals on children’s mental health. Additionally, he has published four of his own books on a variety of topics and presented to organisations such as the International Congress of Child Neurology on topics including ‘Risks to children’s brain development today: screen dependency disorders’.
Several years ago I had the privilege of hearing Dr Sigman speak at an IAPS Conference and was impacted by what he had to say. Having spoken with him earlier this week, I am confident that his webinar will be reassuring and helpful to us as parents at this time, as well as equipping us with tools and strategies to help navigate life in lockdown.
Please note that whilst this is not a ‘public’ event, as such, you are welcome to invite friends whom you feel this may benefit as this is a time to help one another. More information, including joining details will be sent out in due course.
Have a great weekend.
Nik Pears
A message from Mr Pears to pupils: