The Unit
We’re Zooming!
We hope you’ve had a nice week so far. We started our Social & Communication club on Zoom this week and were thrilled with how well all of you joined! Here’s a ‘behind the scenes’ photo from our session. We played a memory games based on the Generation Game. As you can see the only item no one could remember was the paint brush! We hope to see you again on Wednesdays and Fridays with more games and discussions.
Hello Summer term!
We hope you had a chance to enjoy the half term sun a little bit last week. We are carrying on as usual, some of you will receive school work from us during our visits and some of you will find it on your class page or on Google Classroom. Do let us know if you are having any problems getting school work or need more support with it.
We are also now able to offer support online, using a platform called Zoom. Your child will be meeting individually or with their usual group in the Deaf Unit and their Teacher of the Deaf. They will be given a specific day and time to join the virtual session, with an adult present at home. Parents need to give consent for their child to use Zoom.
What is Zoom? Zoom is a platform to provide safe video and chat-based educational experiences on computers, tablets and smartphones. Please review Zoom’s privacy terms and conditions carefully if you choose to register: http://zoom.us/terms and http://zoom.us/privacy
How will we use Zoom? Unit staff host “meetings” through their Zoom account and invite the children (only through their parent/guardian) to join the meeting. Parent/guardians do not need to register for Zoom accounts, but you will need access to the internet and a computer, phone, or tablet. The teacher will ask to see the adult in the room before starting the session. At the end of the session, the teacher end the meeting or ask the parents to end the call by “leaving the meeting”.
What happens next? The Unit staff will send a secure meeting link and password to the parent/carer’s email address, which is used to access the lesson on the day and time given only. The children will need a quiet space with an adult present in the room.
We will be scheduling sessions in the near future and will inform parents and carers via email.
If you would like to know more but have not given your email to Mrs Clarke, please email lotta.clarke@whitehall.waltham.sch.uk
Have a great week and we hope to see you on Zoom soon,
From the Unit staff
Hello!
We hope you are all staying healthy and happy at home. How are you getting on with the Fingerspellathon so far? Have you learnt to spell supercalifragilisticexpialidocious in under 15 seconds yet? Here is the link to the BSL alphabet to get you started:
https://www.british-sign.co.uk/fingerspelling-alphabet-charts/
Try this online game to improve your receptive (understanding) skills:
https://www.british-sign.co.uk/fingerspelling-game/
You could also learn some new words and then race against the clock or your family!
Send a video or a picture of the words you’ve learnt or your personal best to the Unit phone or email us.
See you soon,
The Unit staff
Finger Spellathon
For the next two weeks, we’d like to see your fingers get some exercise! Some of you might remember doing this two years ago when we taught the whole school to fingerspell. This time, it’s your family you can get involved! If you already know how to finger spell, then challenge yourself with some trickier words and teach your family the basics, like the fingerspelling alphabet. If you are learning to fingerspell, take your time to practise and challenge yourself to race against the clock as you get more confident.
There are lots of fun ways you can challenge yourself with fingerspelling. We will be posting resources on the Google Classroom to help you spell different words and quizzes to practise them. You can also have a look on the NDCS website for ideas.
Challenge yourself
There are lots of fun ways you can challenge yourself with fingerspelling. You could:
- learn the alphabet or a set amount of words (use our word lists, or create your own)
- take part in activities like the NDCS word hunt or word search
- film yourself fingerspelling words
- go the extra mile and spell supercalifragilisticexpialidocious as fast as you can!
Hello all!
We hope you are keeping busy at home. If you are in Key Stage 2, you will be getting to grips with Google Classroom now. If you have any issues, do message us and we will try to help you or point to someone who can. There is also a useful Google Classroom guide on the school website.
Some of you are receiving home learning packs, keep using these and if you can get online, it is always good to use Bug Club for reading. We can check how you are getting on and set more books for you to read so let us know if you are interested in anything particular!
Do also have a look at the book explaining Corona virus to children, written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler.
See you online or on your doorstep,
From the Unit staff
Hello Unit children!
Hello! We hope you are keeping busy at home. Have a look at the latest Home Learning activities on the bottom of this page. You will also have been given work by your class teachers. Some of you have received new home learning packs from us, keep using these. As always, if you have any questions about the work set or about your hearing equipment, please get in touch via the Unit phone or email.
We hope to see you again very soon,
The Unit staff
Easter Holidays
We hope you are all happy and healthy. All of us at the Unit miss seeing your smiley faces everyday.
Mrs Ayrton delivered some packs for you this week so you can look after your equipment at home. If you are in Key Stage 2, some of you are learning to clean your equipment and replace batteries on your own and if you’re younger, your parents can help you with this. It’s really important to keep your equipment clean; everything works better when it’s dry and dust-free!
We have been so impressed with the work some of you have done over the past two weeks, keep it up! Remember you can always send us pictures of your work via email or the Unit phone, we would love to see what you are up to.
For this Easter holiday, keep reading your books and writing in your reading diary. We have also added an online Safety Quiz on Busy things for KS2. You could also have a go at coding: BT are offering a fun coding activity if you have a computer or a tablet to use. Here is the link: bt.com/codeacake
Parents, if you have any issues or feedback, do get in touch with via email or the Unit phone. Any issues with audiology, please contact your clinic or your child’s hospital. The National Deaf Children’s Society has published a very useful Families Blog, which has information for families in the current situation.
https://www.ndcs.org.uk/blog/coronavirus-and-support-for-deaf-children-information-for-families/
Coronavirus and support for deaf children – information for families | National Deaf Children's Society
This blog has been written for families with deaf children. It covers things that parents need to be aware of in the coming days and weeks, such as school closures, access to hearing aid repairs and batteries, and supporting deaf children during the spread of coronavirus.
www.ndcs.org.uk
We hope you all stay healthy and see you soon,
Deaf Unit