Due to Coronavirus our biannual music department tour abroad had to be cancelled. Sponne musicians  would most likely have been playing Viva la Vida -  as part of a Coldplay selection - at one of the three concerts we were scheduled to do in Germany.

In the absence of the tour, and to keep connectivity with our current musicians and former members, present and former members of the band have put together a virtual recording.

Please watch the video below if you are in Year 10

Please watch the video below if you are in year 12

Sponne School are proud to be Northamptonshire Virtual School Games Gymnastics Champions AND District Virtual School Games Gymnastics Champions.

Well done to all of those involved.

A short video of members of Sponnaissance singing Sing We With Gladness

Click HERE to view

Huge congratulations to Erin T from 8CEH and Lucy R 7EL who have come in the top 50 entries for the 500 word story competition. This is a national competition and each year thousands of children enter, so to get this far is fantastic! We are extremely proud of both girls. Erin's story is called "The Mars Theory" and can be found here and Lucy's story is called "Caught". Erin's story can be found here. Both girls were due to go to Buckingham Palace so we hope they get to celebrate at a later date. Well done both!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15M7RGCr5FUyyNs_yXnff5E-BKoNaJr3d/view

VE DAY 8th MAY 2020 - Marking 75 Years since “Victory in Europe”

Sponne staff have put together some information about VE Day along with some challenges we'd like to encourage students to do.

It was such a shame that Sponne musicians were unable to perform in the annual Spring Concert to showcase all the work that had been going on in ensemble practices in terms 3 and 4.

The school closure and restrictions also meant that the recital evening, showcasing the examination performances of our yr 13 students, and also the regional qualification round of Music for Youth were also unable to take place as scheduled.

We very much hope that we will be able to reschedule our recital evening and spring concert (even if it ends up being an Autumn one!) so that we can give those musicians leaving us this year  a proper musical send off! With regard to Music for Youth, with two weeks of rehearsal still to go we hastily put together some recorded entries for our groups.

In the meantime, musicians please still Keep Practicing!

We hope you and your child are getting used to the Google Suite platform, in particular Classroom which our teaching staff are using to set and collect work during this time of school closures.

G-Suite How to Guide has been updated today (24th March 2020) to address some of the common issues students have been having with regards to finding work, completing work online and handing work in.

We would like to highlight there is no requirement for students to be printing out work, the work is designed to manage work electronically.

Should a student be required to hand-draw or write up a piece of work, it can be photographed, uploaded to drive and then added on classroom - instructions for this are included in the linked guide.

We would also like to request that students do not email work to teachers, because tasks are being monitored through Assignments on Classroom.

Thank you for your patience with the Classroom platform, and questions you may have, can be directed to the Google Coordinator, Scott Cornelius; scornelius@sponne.org.uk

There is also some useful advice for parents, from Thinkuknow, with regards to keeping your child safe online, while they are off school.

How to support your child if they are feeling anxious about coronavirus

It’s understandable for children and adults to feel concerned or anxious about this virus and it is natural for parents to want to support and protect their children. You might do this in many different ways – giving them a hug, playing a game or having a chat. The most important thing is for your child to know that you are there for them, ready to help them if things get hard. We hope these tips help you support your child at this time.

1. Talk to your child about what is going on. You could start by asking them what they have heard about coronavirus.
2. Try to answer their questions and reassure them in an age appropriate manner. Remember, you do not need to know all the answers, but talking can help them feel calm.
3. Explain to your child that it is natural to worry sometimes and everyone does it. This feeling, like all feelings, will come and go.
4. Don’t try to shield your child from the news, as it’s likely they will find out somehow from school, being online or from friends.
5. Be aware that your child will often copy your behaviour, so if you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed, you may need to limit how much you express this in front of them.
6. Reassure your child that it is unlikely they will get seriously ill, and if they do feel ill you will look after them. Your child might be concerned about who will look after you if you catch the virus. Let them know the kind of support you have as an adult so that they don’t feel they need to worry about you.
7. Give some practical tips to your child about how they can look after themselves. For example, show them how to wash their hands properly, and remind them when they should be doing it.
8. Keep as many regular routines as possible, so that your child feels safe and that things are stable.
9. Spend time doing a fun activity with your child (e.g. reading, playing, painting, cooking) to help reassure them and reduce their anxiety. This is also a great way of providing a space for them to talk through their concerns, without having a ‘big chat’. For activities ideas, visit our starting a conversation with your child guide.
10. Encourage your child to think about the things they can do to make themselves feel safer and less worried. Help them find things that distract or relax them.
11. Be aware that your child may want more close contact with you at this time and feel anxious about separation. Try to provide this support whenever possible.
12. Remember to look after yourself too. If you are feeling worried, or anxious about coronavirus, talk to someone you trust who can listen and support you.

Helplines and Resources

YoungMinds Crisis Messenger

• Provides free, 24/7 crisis support across the UK if you are experiencing a mental health crisis.
• If you need urgent help text YM to 85258.
• All texts are answered by trained volunteers, with support from experienced clinical supervisors.
• Texts are free from EE, O2, Vodafone, Three, Virgin Mobile, BT Mobile, GiffGaff, Tesco Mobile and Telecom Plus.

Parents Helpline

• Our Parents Helpline is available to offer advice to parents and carers worried about a child or young person under 25.
• Call our free helpline for confidential, expert advice on 0808 802 5544.
• Available Mon-Fri from 9.30am to 4pm- available in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Out of our operating hours, you can contact the Parent Helpline via our online contact form.

Childline

• Comforts, advises and protects children 24 hours a day and offers free confidential counselling.
• Phone 0800 1111 (24 hours).
• Chat 1-2-1 with a counsellor online.

The Mix

• Information, support and listening for people under 25.
• Phone 0808 808 4994 (24 hours).
• Get support online.

Samaritans

• 24 hour confidential listening and support for anyone who needs it. (Adults included.)
• jo@samaritans.org
• Phone 116 123 (24 hours).