tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4081473427787167942024-03-13T05:07:44.185-07:00Learning in LockdownSurviving the COVID-19 pandemic with four kids and a husbandWeronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-19516683559556391322020-04-20T22:00:00.000-07:002020-04-20T22:00:01.225-07:00Day 27 of Lockdown<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today we were back to homeschool and it felt much better. I think having a bit of structure to the day really helps during lockdown. You need something to give your day a bit of rhythm otherwise it all starts to seem the same!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We carried on with our Normans unity study. We will finish it this week and try and put on a Norman's day on Thursday before Ramadan starts on Friday! Honestly can't believe Ramadan is just around the corner. It will be my first time fasting in about 6 years due to pregnancy and breastfeeding and I am feeling very nervous about it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the afternoon I had a lovely meeting with an SLT who is organising webinars for SLT students who have been affected by university closures. I am going to be giving a lecture on bilingualism - something undergraduates don't get taught enough about in my opinion. I'm looking forward to it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Afterwards we went on a walk/cycle ride around our local area. It's still pretty quiet outside and we didn't see anyone else walking about but did see a few cars.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When we got back I filmed a very short clip for the Ramadan video I'm creating and now I need to answer some questions for the BBC article. Keeping busy which is just how I like it!</span>Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-55861795225963367762020-04-19T21:00:00.000-07:002020-04-20T13:23:46.684-07:00Day 26 of Lockdown<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week has felt like one of my most unproductive weeks ever. We really haven't done much but lounge around the house not getting up to anything in particular. As a generally busy person, this week of nothingness has not made me feel good. I keep thinking about all the things we could have done but didn't do. We could have got stuck into some craft projects or read a whole chapter book. But we didn't.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It hasn't all been bad. I managed to finish my book and start a new one. I am loving all this spare time I have for reading at the moment. It probably has something to do with all the time I'm saving by not travelling so much in the car! Perhaps I will really need to consider my journeys a lot more once all this is over.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, after feeling rubbish about a wasted week I felt like I had to do something today so we spent the morning doing some crafts. Asiya painted a little rabbit and the others made this cute rabbit pom pom craft. It kept them busy and it made me feel like a better mother! Is it wrong that I equate crafting with good motherhood? I'm sure there are loads of amazing non-crafty mums out there!</span>Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-26570678164527242112020-04-16T09:30:00.000-07:002020-04-20T13:14:55.793-07:00Day 24 of Lockdown<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had such a busy day today. The whole afternoon was spent in various meetings and telephone calls. I am a member of the Bristol Muslim Strategic Leadership Group and I am most involved with health and media related activity. We have been extremely busy over the last couple of weeks creating multilingual videos related to the coronavirus crisis. I feel it is so important to make information and resources that is accessible to all and providing information in minority languages is essential. Having the correct knowledge really could save lives!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I spoke to a lovely lady from the BBC who is going to write a piece about our videos on the website. Then I attended a meeting to discuss creating some minority language videos about Ramadan which is starting next week. We have a lot to do but it is good to keep busy at this time!</span>Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-6573589000296639922020-04-14T21:30:00.000-07:002020-04-20T13:08:20.048-07:00Day 22 of Lockdown<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today was a good day. Very relaxed and joyful. I started a new knitting project and spent a long time sitting on the swinging hammock knitting away. Knitting always make the time go quickly. You can easily sit for hours and it feels like only 30 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The younger children had a great time playing with water beads in the garden. Asiya mainly wanted to stamp on them and break them all up and she spent quite a long time doing this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the afternoon we did a 300 piece puzzle together. I think it was the first time Sefer did a proper puzzle! He seemed to enjoy it. After that we watched a film and ate homemade pizza. We seem to be getting on really well and I definitely think spending so much time together at home is having a positive effect.</span>Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-81075876685077491552020-04-12T15:05:00.001-07:002020-04-20T13:07:54.799-07:00Day 20 of Lockdown<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today is Easter Sunday and although we don't celebrate (as we are Muslim) my heart goes out to all the people who are trying their best to celebrate it without their normal religious rituals. It must be strange not to go to church on Easter Sunday but I have heard churches are broadcasting Easter mass online. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We started the day by going for a walk to the fields near our house. It was the first time we had been for a walk for over a week! It was lovely actually and it made me feel that we should try and get out the house more often. It is quiet around here so it is actually very easy to stick to social distancing rules.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We took a picnic blanket and some snacks and sat down in the field for a while watching the horses. The children didn't seem to enjoy it much and can't asking to go home! I was surprised by this and it made me think that maybe they are forgetting how to interact with the natural world! I hope not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My parents took the older two on a little cycle near our house. It is easy for the older ones to stick to social distancing rules which is why they can go cycling with my parents, but the younger ones do not understand.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The rest of the day we spent lounging around the garden and house. We played bingo with my family over Zoom which the kids really enjoyed!</span>Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-40929418267201997482020-04-10T15:04:00.000-07:002020-04-20T13:00:07.527-07:00Day 18 of Lockdown<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today was our last day of homeschool before we take a break for the Easter holidays. The children are excited to have a week off but I'm feeling rather worried. I feel like it is good to have some structure to our day and I am not sure what it will be like having nothing in particular to do during lockdown.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The weather has been so beautiful over the last few days. It almost feels like summer! We've spent a lot of time in the garden and Asiya and Kamil have been enjoying the paddling pool. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've started reading a new book - 'Calm parents, happy kids' by Dr Laura Markham. I'm finding it an excellent book, packed full of useful information. In fact, the information is so important I feel like I have to reread everything at least three times to really get it to sink in and stay in my memory.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Boris Johnson has come out of ICU so it seems like he is on the mend and one of the lucky survivors.</span>Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-61633288862773182652020-04-07T14:57:00.000-07:002020-04-20T12:59:34.746-07:00Day 15 of Lockdown<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I spent a long time yesterday evening following the news about the PM online. Then the first thing I did this morning was check the news to see if anything significant had happened. He's still alive! This is a good thing of course so I can relax a little now. I have found myself checking the news and social media often at the moment. I'm finding it hard to concentrate.</span>Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-58962661246664542052020-04-06T21:30:00.000-07:002020-04-20T12:55:08.997-07:00Day 14 of Lockdown<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back to homeschool this morning and we skipped PE with Joe as I wanted to get things done quickly so we could finish early. We carried on with our study of the Normans. I know it is the Easter holidays for most people but we had a week off about a month ago when we had a little holiday by the seaside so I feel it is ok to carry on for another week. Besides, we are really getting into our history unit study and it would be a shame to take a break for two weeks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Late morning I had some time to myself to join in with a virtual knit and natter meeting via Zoom. Zoom is honestly brilliant. I don't know what we would do without it. It is keeping us all connecting in these unusual circumstances. It was lovely to have a chat about knitting as I don't normally have anyone to talk to about it. I told them it would be nice to do it again next week so I hope that happens!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today it was announced that the Prime Minister's condition has deteriorated and he is now in ICU! I can't quite believe it but I guess it can happen to anyone. So many people have died from covid19 - hundreds everyday in the UK. Young, old, ill or healthy; it seems we cannot be sure who will be most affected by this terrible virus. And now it's struck the PM down. They aren't giving us much information about hos condition. Many people in ICU are on a ventilator to help them breathe. What if the PM is on a ventilator? Apparently, only 32% of people make it out of ICU alive.</span>Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-43235773389349739492020-04-05T22:30:00.000-07:002020-04-14T15:51:56.574-07:00Day 13 of Lockdown<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We had an enjoyable day at home today. We spent the morning making woven rainbows out of wool and felt. This was a fun activity for everyone except Asiya who is a bit too young.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We had homemade pizza again for dinner. I think we will make it weekly. Sefer makes great pizzas and it's a good way to keep him busy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This evening we learnt that the Prime minister has been taken to hospital! It has been 10 days since he contracted covid19 and we've seen him on TV a few times since then. It's a strange situation to have the leader of the country in hospital at a time when the country most needs him. I hope he can get back to leading the country soon.</span><br />
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Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-40449485090748656192020-03-30T22:00:00.000-07:002020-04-01T12:55:22.889-07:00Day 7 of Lockdown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today is the start of the new homeschool week. We had a shortened school period because I had a meeting at 11am about telepractice - carrying out speech and language therapy online. I am hoping to start work again as a speech and language therapist on the temporary COVID-19 HCPC register.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Despite out shortened time, we managed to do maths and copywork and I read the next chapter of our homeschool coop book, 'The fantastic flying journey' by Gerald Durrell.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The meeting was very useful. It was carried out over Zoom and I am getting used to using Zoom now. It seems a really easy-to-use platform. I learnt loads of tips on how to carry out speech and language therapy using Zoom as a platform as well as useful apps and resources.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the afternoon, Sefer had to go shopping for food. The children played in the garden and I read a bit of my book. Then we made pizza dough and, after this, the children watched a film.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sefer and the children made the pizza for dinner and it was absolutely delicious! Sefer is good at making pizza as he used to work in a Kebab shop and Zizzi Italian restaurant. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After dinner we played some games. I played Scrabble with the older two and Sefer played Dobble with the younger two. Delal managed to get an extremely high score by using the 'Q' on a triple letter score! She won the game and then the children all played hide and seek with Sefer before bed.</span>Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-30357917726605885062020-03-29T20:00:00.000-07:002020-04-01T12:46:54.307-07:00Day 6 of Lockdown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today we went on a walk to the fields near our house. It is only the second time we have been out the house for exercise. I have felt quite content at home this week but now that the weather is cooler and we haven't spent as much time in the garden, I thought it best to go for a walk to have some fresh air.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We did not see anyone on our short walk to the fields, however, there were a few families in the field. Normally, I never see anyone there. However, the field is huge and it was easy to maintain social distancing rules.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2QdHtHtL2vneUvV3AI1g_JoXFZh5Tko7u_lFr_2ZaqF_PBbRCAOaHDwxcY9SvT3D5a5EHqEpkRLgt96y2rqWIXMU2s54nNIrY66AWhzg_FFBOy9i9Us-QaeQv4e4X5yD9DgTXlbVBs11/s1600/IMG_20200329_161206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2QdHtHtL2vneUvV3AI1g_JoXFZh5Tko7u_lFr_2ZaqF_PBbRCAOaHDwxcY9SvT3D5a5EHqEpkRLgt96y2rqWIXMU2s54nNIrY66AWhzg_FFBOy9i9Us-QaeQv4e4X5yD9DgTXlbVBs11/s640/IMG_20200329_161206.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The children had great fun running around, seeing the horses and finding ladybirds. It was surprising how many ladybirds there were. We will come back again in a few days time.</span>Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-59249169986290970532020-03-28T22:30:00.000-07:002020-04-01T12:43:30.914-07:00Day 5 of Lockdown<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's the weekend so no school work. Today has been quite a slow day. We haven;t done much. The weather was not so good so I didn't spend any time in the garden. The children did though. They enjoyed playing on the trampoline in the afternoon. They have been spending so much time on the trampoline recently.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sefer had to go out to the shops as Delal has developed a cold sore and needed some cream for that. He managed to get some more fruit and vegetables which was a relief. We hadn't been able to buy any earlier in the week as people are still stockpiling and shops are running out of things. The shops are starting to get tighter measures; only allowing a certain number of people in at a time. Therefore, Sefer had to wait in a queue outside for around half an hour before he could get into the shop. He went to a huge supermarket that has a pharmacy inside so he was able to get everything in one place. He managed to get almost everything we needed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The children are getting along really well at the moment. They have stopped asking to go out or to see friends. They are slowly getting used to our new way of life. They have been quite happy playing amongst themselves indoors or out on the garden. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzK2nxc1VYVS6F_XolovXBIE8KKcvIi0uCTRKeYbL-iicr5XQDNPgUsucmyRiZt47nQenfPG5RVBIydhVh4Fy0QrcICF9Yl8EYvxuQv5PLzjhnc_jrK2C1pTUVjwu25PtugaKlymdGG5T/s1600/IMG_20200328_084906+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzK2nxc1VYVS6F_XolovXBIE8KKcvIi0uCTRKeYbL-iicr5XQDNPgUsucmyRiZt47nQenfPG5RVBIydhVh4Fy0QrcICF9Yl8EYvxuQv5PLzjhnc_jrK2C1pTUVjwu25PtugaKlymdGG5T/s640/IMG_20200328_084906+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I managed to finish a book I started a few months ago. I have a terrible habit of starting books but not finishing them so I am trying to use this time to finish some books. However, I am find it a little difficult to concentrate on reading at the moment. My min keeps switching to coronavirus related thoughts. It is definitely a strange time.</span>Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-46693020123828871432020-03-27T17:31:00.000-07:002020-03-28T17:31:15.935-07:00Day 4 of Lockdown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today we discovered that the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has coronavirus! I bet he's now wishing he put the country into lockdown sooner! Meanwhile we spent another day at home. I'm actually feeling quite content and don't even feel the need to venture out for a walk yet. The weather probably has something to do with it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I caught Asiya "reading" the dictionary this morning. She opened it and started talking about what she saw and seemed really interested in it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We did our usual read alouds, maths and copywork and then did some nature study. I've neglected nature study somewhat in recent weeks - I've had other things on my mind- but it was great to get stuck in again. We have been using a curriculum called Exploring Nature With Children for almost 4 years now and it is brilliant! I would highly recommend it for anyone, whether permanent or temporary home educator. I've written quite a lot about it over on my other blog Multicultural Motherhood. Here you can read about 8 reasons why you should use this curriculum.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF0egGDwiwjVwgtgJpiXI4BFd2E-K8HPMj53s1carG7Zcjji_5QQEJzG2L7ZWqdpoYj4lY5AcMC_sHHcfm_ouUEK26zHVvfadvfgpCUEKwJVqz_ZDx3T_P4D5xEjPQksQkKzUjKrb1rlU6/s1600/8.9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1172" data-original-width="1600" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF0egGDwiwjVwgtgJpiXI4BFd2E-K8HPMj53s1carG7Zcjji_5QQEJzG2L7ZWqdpoYj4lY5AcMC_sHHcfm_ouUEK26zHVvfadvfgpCUEKwJVqz_ZDx3T_P4D5xEjPQksQkKzUjKrb1rlU6/s640/8.9.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This week's nature study topic is snails and I managed to get some great printables from Twinkl, an educational website. I don't normal subscribe to it but they have a special offer on at the moment, to support people who have been affected by school closures, where they are offering one month free!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlS1QOBmpInMYMLtUTv4FFkkS7gUczMn0ur-T1wgUfkwV2bp0Sqo-FmFJMlaEEdpwt5-RuykDI0VEFp33cTZoKTGjnYww3ejkeZWY-oOr2rcoq_0nxJ3zHqjdh84WIwkYH2fG95_Tsc2nW/s1600/8.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlS1QOBmpInMYMLtUTv4FFkkS7gUczMn0ur-T1wgUfkwV2bp0Sqo-FmFJMlaEEdpwt5-RuykDI0VEFp33cTZoKTGjnYww3ejkeZWY-oOr2rcoq_0nxJ3zHqjdh84WIwkYH2fG95_Tsc2nW/s640/8.2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We read the wonderful book, 'Are you a snail?' which is a fun and educational book and we also read a short extract from 'The Handbook of Nature Study'. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JDY3mRKwvecrHDHNXRAPSz3bGdS5hmRBPx5QgRSOQCNAaMOYDd5a8Q86apvU1NJZ0JQQOUhpbnVvyagrlnLR-pKElEuGmNyGWtUnVeaA2Nu-leO30nZag_Ctx7tg74_kgeThCOJ1beDn/s1600/8.4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JDY3mRKwvecrHDHNXRAPSz3bGdS5hmRBPx5QgRSOQCNAaMOYDd5a8Q86apvU1NJZ0JQQOUhpbnVvyagrlnLR-pKElEuGmNyGWtUnVeaA2Nu-leO30nZag_Ctx7tg74_kgeThCOJ1beDn/s640/8.4.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then the children went around the garden looking for snails. We managed to find a couple and I suggested we leave them on a piece of apple to see if they would eat it. They weren't interested - they crawled right off!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwdY9QThZfQC8DU12tdDQx-mo5XYFlwphTCj9fNMY3K-rM2ECuuvriq_vEaIxpBM_Xtwlf91yBUSWxdkhhceWXiQIUeGZv5r9LuIqcyYknkhbpS9SIylwdJHDaJfUnFWv7T3SBv8V3AG5/s1600/8.6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwdY9QThZfQC8DU12tdDQx-mo5XYFlwphTCj9fNMY3K-rM2ECuuvriq_vEaIxpBM_Xtwlf91yBUSWxdkhhceWXiQIUeGZv5r9LuIqcyYknkhbpS9SIylwdJHDaJfUnFWv7T3SBv8V3AG5/s640/8.6.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We spent a lot of the afternoon gardening. Sefer dug over the vegetable patch and the children helped. Riyad also did a great job of clearing up the flower bed. We planted runner beans, peas and carrots directly into the ground. We have a variety of other vegetables growing in our greenhouse.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We found a green caterpillar and have put it in the butterfly cage with some leaves. I am hoping we will be able to see it form a chrysalis and turn into a butterfly.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOPuXPnyF8n89nGAwdWce5Gy7Nj9YKn0xIAlFJXcmXrtIhGQYnZBPd5vrjRjmjCig33g4nJxy9CLYmU9fFtpfKdaGIHyym40NW4XYr4fixF467Jc0lpp8MoQ2O2v3cnto3_qCe-PfsLQ61/s1600/8.8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOPuXPnyF8n89nGAwdWce5Gy7Nj9YKn0xIAlFJXcmXrtIhGQYnZBPd5vrjRjmjCig33g4nJxy9CLYmU9fFtpfKdaGIHyym40NW4XYr4fixF467Jc0lpp8MoQ2O2v3cnto3_qCe-PfsLQ61/s640/8.8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A children's author on Instagram is sharing daily writing prompts. I thought the children might like to do one. This prompt was about hands. The children had to draw around their hands and then write about their hands. Above are the results.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the evening I attended a meeting via Zoom to discuss how the Bristol Muslim Strategic Leadership Group (a non-profit organisation I am part of) can assist the community during the coronavirus pandemic. There are so many things to think about! We will start working on our next video soon.</span>Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-35597939731977362072020-03-26T17:22:00.000-07:002020-03-28T17:22:56.661-07:00Day 3 of Lockdown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Day 3 has been much the same as the other days this week. We started with some read alouds and then did the PE lesson by Joe Wickes on YouTube. We did maths and copywork and then I thought I'd bake a Turkish snack this morning. This was a bit of a mistake because it took so long so we ended up with an extra long morning break. I must remember to save this recipe for the weekends in future! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is what I made. They were delicious and very moreish and thankfully I've made enough to last for a few days.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After morning break we all hung out in the garden - it's still beautifully warm outside - and did some foreign language lessons. We started off recapping the French vocabulary we learned recently and then practised Turkish. Then Sefer gave the children a lesson in his mother tongue; Zazaki. Zazaki is a Kurdish language spoken by around 10% of the Kurdish population of Turkey. I hardly know any Zazaki, mainly because there are no books on how to learn it so the only way is to learn it from a native speaker of the language.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After this we read some more about the battle of Hastings. Then the children did some watercolour painting. The children were very happy playing in the garden so we didn't go out for a walk. We really have to make the most of this glorious weather!</span>Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-27039479238114651762020-03-25T13:42:00.000-07:002020-03-28T17:34:30.008-07:00Day 2 of Lockdown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today was the second day of lockdown and I'm still feeling fine! I think the good weather definitely helps. We spent a lot of time in the garden again but also managed a trip to the playing fields round the corner so the boys could play football without worrying about breaking the greenhouse!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Riyad wanted to colour in his map so he did that first thing. Then I read some read alouds and we managed to finish 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks'! It was a brillant book and I enjoyed it just as much as the children. Then we did PE with Joe Wickes. I did not join in today as I was busy putting the final touches to a video I am creating in collaboration with the NHS to give guidance about coronavirus in seven minority languages. There is a real worry that ethnic minority groups and at greater risk of contracting the virus because they don't have access to the health warnings and guidance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The children help me make jam tarts for morning snack. Asiya was not happy because Delal wouldn't let her hold the jam jar.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After lunch we carried on learning about the Battle of Hastings and the Bayeux tapestry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After lunch, we took a short walk to a small playing field round the corner from our house so the boys could play football without breaking another window (Riyad did this quite recently)! We also took the tennis rackets and picnic blanket and spent almost two hours playing together in the sunshine. It was a wonderful day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the evening I was finally able to upload a new coronavirus guidance video that we produced in collaboration with the NHS and Bristol Muslim Strategic Leadership Group. The video gives guidance in 8 languages. It is really important to get information out there in minority languages and we have had a good response to the video so far.</span></div>
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Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-47607256807905899212020-03-24T23:00:00.000-07:002020-03-25T17:27:15.220-07:00Day 5 Official Lockdown Begins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today was the first day of the offical lockdown. It was fine. We spent the whole day at home, not even going outside our home for exercise because I didn't feel the need to on the first day. We spent most of the day in the garden because the weather was absolutely beautiful - warm and sunny. I can't believe how much it has warmed up in the last couple of days.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We started the morning with some read alouds and then did the live PE lesson by The Body Coach. It was a lot of fun but my legs are starting to ache already! After this, the older two got on with their maths and copywork while I baked flapjacks with the younger two.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When the flapjacks were ready we sat out in the garden for our morning snack. While eating we listened to 'Spring' by Vivaldi and also some English folk songs. The children sang along as they listened to 'The Ashgrove', 'Scarborough Fair', 'The Water is Wide' and 'Greensleeves.' </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After snack, we took a look at a book about the Bayeux Tapestry. I do not know much about this so I'm really enjoying learning more about this important historic source. Riyad decided he wanted to draw one of the pictures from the book. He loves drawing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6HtvOhaiwC19fIGYEwrZireupsBgVdD9HBU2QubLgkQxarIk4Tzdsq5ZaNM4gQq_7cVOSjrETrfAdRSxCfny5HUdPhWRXAWWX2L0l6U5UsLMgjKJeGZBfu29Z3uGnAV82KFwHYWVqDUo/s1600/day+5.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6HtvOhaiwC19fIGYEwrZireupsBgVdD9HBU2QubLgkQxarIk4Tzdsq5ZaNM4gQq_7cVOSjrETrfAdRSxCfny5HUdPhWRXAWWX2L0l6U5UsLMgjKJeGZBfu29Z3uGnAV82KFwHYWVqDUo/s640/day+5.2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After lunch, I showed the children a book about how to draw Europe. The boys were very eager to get started. I explained that we should do a bit each day in order to take it in slowly and actually learn the names of the countries and where they are in Europe. However, the boys had other ideas. They wanted to complete the map straight away. I let them because when children get passionate about something, I believe it is best to let them crack on with it. As Julie Boggart says in her book 'The Brave Learner', "A enchanted education is like kindling a fire. All you need is a book of matches." This is so true. I introduced the children to the book and this sparked an interest in drawing Europe and I love how that little spark of interest ignited a fire, a passion to learn.</span><br />
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Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-21920934500254610302020-03-23T23:00:00.000-07:002020-03-25T17:23:17.336-07:00Day 4 of Social Distancing <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's Monday today so we started off the day with our usual homeschool routine. We read some books and recited a chapter of the Quran. Then, we did something different; a PE class with The Body Coach! Joe Wickes is doing live PE classes every week day via his YouTube channel. It was brilliant! I joined in with the kids are it was great to do some exercise for the first time in years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are so many free, online classes and subscriptions at the moment. Celebrities are offering lots of freebies to help keep children occupied during school closures. It's great but there are so many live lessons being offered throughout the day, I'm wondering if we are going to get any of my planned work done!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sefer had to take his car for the MOT and when he got back he looked after the children so I could do some work for my online courses. The children spent a lot of time in the garden and Sefer cut the grass; just in time for the good weather!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the afternoon, Sefer had to go to the barber shop to collect his things and help them deep clean the place in preparation to close. It was the last day for many shop workers as the government tells people to practise social distancing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the evening, the news we had been waiting for finally came. The Prime Minister announced he was locking down the country! I am pleased about this because I do not think people have taken recent guidance about social distancing seriously. It was time for some more serious measures to be put in place. We need to stop this virus spreading and save lives!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I do feel like we should have gone into lockdown around two weeks ago. The government originally planned to let the virus spread throughout the country in an attempt to create herd immunity. This was the wrong tactic and the government soon did a u-turn on it and started advising people to stay at home. But now they have taken the final step to keep people in their homes. We are allowed out only for necessities like food, medicines and looking after an elderly or vulnerable person. Key workers, such as health professionals and supermarket workers, are also allowed out to go to work. Also, we are allowed to go out once a day for exercise but we must only go with the family members we live with and must stick to social distancing rules (keeping two meters apart).</span>Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-69613705155173589852020-03-22T16:24:00.004-07:002020-03-22T16:24:58.936-07:00Day 3 of Social Distancing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87VPiJy1cdkOtpTBg5RHmcvV_Ci0lxAfkCPVo-Z2zLJ8_Zvo6aJOdysgxhVcOrNeDna3VZJzQM0RExlqVKUmY2E_iER5plElrU0fH2W0hhTtFyGLtCDOtsKS2HPLeUsrKqsdA9YUGP4xK/s1600/day+3.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87VPiJy1cdkOtpTBg5RHmcvV_Ci0lxAfkCPVo-Z2zLJ8_Zvo6aJOdysgxhVcOrNeDna3VZJzQM0RExlqVKUmY2E_iER5plElrU0fH2W0hhTtFyGLtCDOtsKS2HPLeUsrKqsdA9YUGP4xK/s640/day+3.1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today is Mother's Day and what a strange one it's been. A lot of people will not have been able to visit their mothers today because of social distancing. My mum and dad are staying in their caravan in Devon at the moment but even if they were home I wouldn't have visited because they are more vulnerable to this virus, especially my dad. We did video call and have a chat and my mum read the children a story. She said she will read them stories every day via video call.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We had a slow morning. We baked some chocolate chip scones and then the children set to work making me some flowers as we hadn't been shopping to buy gifts. It is best we avoid the shops wherever possible. I am only going shopping for food.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The weather was so beautiful today. It's surprising how much it has warmed up over the last too days. It felt really spring-like. We went for a walk in a local woodland. I thought walking in the woods would be easier for social distancing than going to a park. I've heard people have been flocking to the parks and beaches over the last couple of days so social distancing is impossible in these places. It really shocks me how so many people are not taking social distancing seriously. I feel like the government are going to have to enforce this soon otherwise how are we ever going to get rid of this virus?!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ahQoDsCdc0Ibu6H5dQpB1YkNF3HF9XdYzoPN5Rt3nGqr_jQCpZEguNCbcJTyGEW9SyerYVSfxPiiijeurimFKy6WQqEDaRNSpaG9GIKsXN5QwDHO9vpJmc7A3JlLK8rWLvrLSIbC1tk-/s1600/day+3.4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ahQoDsCdc0Ibu6H5dQpB1YkNF3HF9XdYzoPN5Rt3nGqr_jQCpZEguNCbcJTyGEW9SyerYVSfxPiiijeurimFKy6WQqEDaRNSpaG9GIKsXN5QwDHO9vpJmc7A3JlLK8rWLvrLSIbC1tk-/s640/day+3.4.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The woodland was busier than I've ever seen it but not so busy as to make social distancing difficult. There were plenty of times that we were the only ones in a certain spot, however, we did pass people on the main footpath through the woods.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphJJok_JYGlknOAPodNkO2tXH-ycKyBMPHFRfxGuUn5DTDIZd00voRQGFr0eObfDAKCpg5TSg5YLxhxM0_1krTj8i1vK_UFAji3f11YkGIF889jcyl0rFEMrMOi4Yqc0FvDDk5YXWRjzs/s1600/day+3.7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphJJok_JYGlknOAPodNkO2tXH-ycKyBMPHFRfxGuUn5DTDIZd00voRQGFr0eObfDAKCpg5TSg5YLxhxM0_1krTj8i1vK_UFAji3f11YkGIF889jcyl0rFEMrMOi4Yqc0FvDDk5YXWRjzs/s640/day+3.7.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was wonderful seeing the children run around outside. We searched for spring flowers and climbed a hill to some fields where we sat down to rest. The children decided to do some nature journaling and I felt happy sitting in the sunshine as they painted. I hope we have a lot more good weather like this. I can't imagine it would be any fun to be isolated inside on rainy days without the option of going swimming or to a museum.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNdp_vZTWgbHzQP__Ny27_bTTdfeWUoazj78aguMGZhnGtmx1Ox3LeIEhPXcGp9N4HwYMugoaiK7KP2jKFU02iRaWXeJCBZTI109nZicK7yPlff1kyCa_PnaIjtpGeVdNkxh38RbSGt3J/s1600/day+3.8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNdp_vZTWgbHzQP__Ny27_bTTdfeWUoazj78aguMGZhnGtmx1Ox3LeIEhPXcGp9N4HwYMugoaiK7KP2jKFU02iRaWXeJCBZTI109nZicK7yPlff1kyCa_PnaIjtpGeVdNkxh38RbSGt3J/s640/day+3.8.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All in all it was a good afternoon out but I couldn't find the hand sanitiser and I panicked a bit about this. I know it is not really needed in the woods but there were a number of gates we had to go through and I thought it would have been better to use hand sanitiser before and after using these. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Riyad took a bagful of paper aeroplanes to the woods to fly them. He is completely obsessed with them at the moment!</span></div>
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Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-74410477826151888012020-03-21T23:00:00.000-07:002020-03-22T15:54:07.633-07:00Day 2 of Social Distancing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Only day 2 and feeling quite positive. It hasn't really sunk in yet that we won't be able to see our friends and visit our favourite places for the foreseeable future. The children have been asking to see their friends and I have to keep explaining that we can't see other people at the moment. They have been asking to go our local country park but I had to explain that it's closed. My 2 year old has asked to go to the library (we usually go once a week for rhyme time) and she doesn't understand why we can't go. 'Why' is her new favourite word and I think her constant questioning is going to drive me slightly crazy soon!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As today is World Poetry Day I decided to focus on poetry. I read the children poems from one of our favourite poetry books. Later, we watched YouTube videos of the poet Michael Rosen performing some of his poems. The children were entranced by these videos. They had no idea a poem could be so exciting to listen to and watch. I am going to try getting them performing poetry soon. I think they will really enjoy the creative process.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After listening to lots of poetry, I asked the children to write a poem of their own about coronavirus. I thought it would be a good way for them to express their thoughts and feelings about this pandemic. Riyad, age 7, wrote the following short poem:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Coronavirus is killing everyone.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>It is very bad.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>It is very sad.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wow. That was a shock. He must have some strong feelings about this. I guess he is picking up on the atmosphere and the constant conversation about the pandemic. I need to have a proper chat with the children about what is going on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We spent a lot of the afternoon in the garden. I am so thankful for our garden at this time. So grateful that we have our own outdoor space where we can spend time playing, gardening and connecting in safety.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvScIvmusJBsVXlIld1d5hOROVNsU6TbmEs-2Yy0aiDXUpG7hCFpa5vJ8nm0Vz6yQe6feYtHj9_WdUFVdz3qTQPq4mGrGovrJJp5e6XF3UfzWoTCQOeyFyscvvvHshUw13HIN7BOOwmZR9/s1600/day+2.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvScIvmusJBsVXlIld1d5hOROVNsU6TbmEs-2Yy0aiDXUpG7hCFpa5vJ8nm0Vz6yQe6feYtHj9_WdUFVdz3qTQPq4mGrGovrJJp5e6XF3UfzWoTCQOeyFyscvvvHshUw13HIN7BOOwmZR9/s640/day+2.1.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The younger ones spent a long time bouncing on the trampoline and I started re-potting some of the seedlings. We only planted the seeds about two weeks ago and a lot have already shot up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My sister came over to drop the budgie back at our house (my brother had been looking after it for a while). I am not sure if I am allowed to be in close contact with my sister but seeing as we have both been around lots of other people lately (before starting social distancing) I guess we should be distancing from each other too. I thought it would be best if she kept a good distance from the children so I asked her to take the boys to the playing field to play football because social distancing can happen more easily in a big open space.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Later in the day the children watched a few hours of TV. More than I would have liked but I am feeling quite distracted at the moment and I have to let it go while we navigate our new normal. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Riyad spent a lot of time making paper aeroplanes and now I have them all over the house.</span>Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-33124169732908391952020-03-20T22:30:00.000-07:002020-03-21T04:36:31.113-07:00Day 1 of Social Distancing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today we begin our new normal. For the first time ever, all our social plans are cancelled. No meeting with friends, no homeschool coops and no evening activities. Things are starting to get serious but it doesn't yet seem real. I feel like I'm living in a dream and I could wake up at any second and it will all be normal again. It is hard to comprehend what is going on. It is hard to comprehend that we will be isolated from others for a long period of time, potentially. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today we begin a new kind of home education. This is not home education as we have known it for the past five years. It is different. We will actually be spending a lot of time at home! A lot of people have misconceptions about home education. Firstly, people often believe that homeschooling means school at home, which is not the case. And secondly, people often think that homeschoolers do not socialise, also, not the case. Usually we socialise a lot. Everyday we get out of the house and meet up with other children and families. Now, we won't. It is going to be challenging!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFpfr02rQ3-64KE92Zt9Op5g7hFNO00gJCZ3C2ES-Pp6yIMcOMJUHwyGJhqO_jlcEYZ1k84W0orh_m0zTw7Zz1bvU5H8p-nwgdecXZTDmuNrHY4ydvLcU0nyhrn9XJDL72chqWWZVaKja/s1600/day+1.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFpfr02rQ3-64KE92Zt9Op5g7hFNO00gJCZ3C2ES-Pp6yIMcOMJUHwyGJhqO_jlcEYZ1k84W0orh_m0zTw7Zz1bvU5H8p-nwgdecXZTDmuNrHY4ydvLcU0nyhrn9XJDL72chqWWZVaKja/s640/day+1.2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have gradually been explaining to the children, the situation that we find ourselves in. I've tried to explain to them that we won't be able to see people for a while and that our usual groups and activities are closed and they all seem sad at this. I hope they will get used to our new rhythm easily.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Morning</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We started off the day, as usual, with morning time. First we did recitation (a surah from the Quran) and we read a chapter from <i>The Prophets</i> by Syed Ali Ashraf. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I read some picture books for the younger ones and a chapter from our read aloud,<i> Bedknobs and Broomsticks</i>, for the other two. K, aged 4, gasped in shock when I said the word, Bloodyditch, a place name, because of the word 'bloody'. I explained that while 'bloody' is a swear word, it can also mean something covered in blood and that it was called that because a battle had taken place there. In the book it said that Bloodyditch is now called Blowditch. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This got us into a discussion about how the same word can sometimes have two different meanings. I asked the children to think of some other words they knew that sounded the same but had different meanings. They came up with things like see/sea, spring etc. I love how even fictional read alouds can lead us to learning!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNZ9ol7HueLNk3NG8DEaQ7RdWLcQkDolXKiJ0BsUZRKodRvufdeiO2A9Ac8hREH1t4_agY95mYAsk2pvjXNbl9D-RYD3R5zvcleap0QhyYKIWwguh0zL4FV3deLMXwQSm0BU-NeALgEAV/s1600/day+1.6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNZ9ol7HueLNk3NG8DEaQ7RdWLcQkDolXKiJ0BsUZRKodRvufdeiO2A9Ac8hREH1t4_agY95mYAsk2pvjXNbl9D-RYD3R5zvcleap0QhyYKIWwguh0zL4FV3deLMXwQSm0BU-NeALgEAV/s640/day+1.6.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The children then did their maths work, 20 minutes of Math Mammoth, and then we had our morning snack. I had to take 20 minutes to film a short clip for a coronavirus guidance video I am working on with the NHS and Bristol Muslim Strategic Leadership group then. The video will show the information in eight different minority languages that are spoken in our local area.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHoMBqK3zQHRE_mROjBJx3EI-xDzMqz4wxrJpk3yUNat8zbNzdE6aY88zelzMXfthwWSlR0K1cBDyMLD_WQsqEI8R5DTXmESE6IKjdTvJzzwoeL0s9bQHtW6uom8B7AXeKyWUEYTN1IXG/s1600/day+1.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHoMBqK3zQHRE_mROjBJx3EI-xDzMqz4wxrJpk3yUNat8zbNzdE6aY88zelzMXfthwWSlR0K1cBDyMLD_WQsqEI8R5DTXmESE6IKjdTvJzzwoeL0s9bQHtW6uom8B7AXeKyWUEYTN1IXG/s640/day+1.1.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Next, we continued with our history topic. We are learning about the battle of Hastings at the moment and we watched some video from <b><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/history-ks3-ks4-1066/zrnd7nb">BBC Teach</a></b> which show the events leading up to the battle of Hastings, such as the battle of Stamford Bridge, and the battle of Hastings itself. Then the children finished their timeline of kings from the death of Alfred the Great to William the Conqueror.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Afternoon</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfcleNoX7GfJwafojUxo1L3qbhTnoDOympxLf6Ei8oBj6Rl331SvtLZ5RiPpV7aCP9DX-eA5lmOsUzNE1JDdSnm3H7Ogh0ICOEHrkYE_0OTuCk2zTmpC8awGrlbW4pSY4rj0lxD5r5uuj/s1600/day+1.3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfcleNoX7GfJwafojUxo1L3qbhTnoDOympxLf6Ei8oBj6Rl331SvtLZ5RiPpV7aCP9DX-eA5lmOsUzNE1JDdSnm3H7Ogh0ICOEHrkYE_0OTuCk2zTmpC8awGrlbW4pSY4rj0lxD5r5uuj/s640/day+1.3.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After lunch we watched a bilingual English/French story being read by Cate on the <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/babelbabies/">Babel Babies Facebook page</a></b>. I think she is reading bilingual stories at 2pm everyday at the moment! Then we took the scooters and went for a walk around our local area, taking care to keep a good distance from anyone we saw. We have some beautiful fields just five minutes walk from our house. Although it is the first day of spring, it feels more wintery outside right now. But, we all need a bit of fresh air!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2olMMdzz0EXSGS8urKFzkG4qRpK3cuvoe2D6IfYRlG1cTsVmwt523bCFP4ca-Al1pmSnjLLgfKvjIm30JT1GSlBTSRXgrrzfe4VR5dUJnpmB025gNdnCsYsQAiJNE7sLD942SKfo4d8d/s1600/day+1.4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2olMMdzz0EXSGS8urKFzkG4qRpK3cuvoe2D6IfYRlG1cTsVmwt523bCFP4ca-Al1pmSnjLLgfKvjIm30JT1GSlBTSRXgrrzfe4VR5dUJnpmB025gNdnCsYsQAiJNE7sLD942SKfo4d8d/s640/day+1.4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The children had the opportunity to run around the fields and we watched the horses for a while. It is so important that we continue to get outside as much as possible while we still can, as long as we keep to social distancing requirements. A, aged 2, managed to walk or scooter the whole way there are back and I feel that the time will soon come when I no longer need the pushchair.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXoiSEWa8RfQhNkHzyUJxsoRoZ-3QikxKiR6M9jl74UZEwKsOKm8bVJd4kdR18lUERMWzEm5CQURncx66s_iBcJD59oBU9fCW-rKBRb1plTYFC9VE1076MfxbtGdHGRCXw3ROIv_9TKeJY/s1600/day+1.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXoiSEWa8RfQhNkHzyUJxsoRoZ-3QikxKiR6M9jl74UZEwKsOKm8bVJd4kdR18lUERMWzEm5CQURncx66s_iBcJD59oBU9fCW-rKBRb1plTYFC9VE1076MfxbtGdHGRCXw3ROIv_9TKeJY/s640/day+1.5.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When we got back home, the children did their own thing for a while; reading and general playing. Then I let them watch some TV while I cooked dinner. Apart from not meeting up with friends in the afternoon, it was our usual routine. The children have been asking to see friends and I keep having to explain to them that they won't be able to do that for a while.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408147342778716794.post-42966573330300746102020-03-19T11:51:00.002-07:002020-03-21T04:36:20.740-07:00The Lockdown Begins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zD_4qcA5zEv__x1-tHVob3OYJn7IHW_is0uuqI6BqiefsC6FH-zQmf8hUUy8pMdyaqHMvS9ywWFFanmziTBZps4xOOIbJK0fXxwO4A1XWzJaEdCaXqvnQ00WaIikYoD5VZJFgB0aT_qj/s1600/20190727_125413%25280%2529+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zD_4qcA5zEv__x1-tHVob3OYJn7IHW_is0uuqI6BqiefsC6FH-zQmf8hUUy8pMdyaqHMvS9ywWFFanmziTBZps4xOOIbJK0fXxwO4A1XWzJaEdCaXqvnQ00WaIikYoD5VZJFgB0aT_qj/s640/20190727_125413%25280%2529+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My name is Weronika and I am a homeschool mum of four children aged 10, 7, 4 and 2 from the south west of England. I am married to Sefer, a Kurdish man from Turkey. I have been blogging for around seven years at <b><a href="http://www.multiculturalmotherhood.com/">Multicultural Motherhood</a></b> about all things homeschooling, parenting and raising multilingual children. In my latest article I wrote about how those who have been affected by school closures <b><a href="http://www.multiculturalmotherhood.com/2020/03/why-you-dont-need-to-replicate-school-at-home.html">do not need to replicate school</a></b> at home. You can read it <b><a href="http://www.multiculturalmotherhood.com/2020/03/why-you-dont-need-to-replicate-school-at-home.html">HERE.</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have decided to start this new blog to write about our family experiences of the <b><a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a></b> pandemic. I will be using it much like a diary, to record our daily lives in these extraordinary circumstances. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgXHPjuTdwPzxKHlaWRUUQayKJrcaYxh9c1RolEm23XIOOlka0X96t1GS7qfjczdESq5HUwm7O-Piq9vADeGgz9q1BCGfSQ0QbxUy0VoF9ur79UWAH7jLBIQGWGDX0E_BgduzE1mFN9cg/s1600/blossoms+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgXHPjuTdwPzxKHlaWRUUQayKJrcaYxh9c1RolEm23XIOOlka0X96t1GS7qfjczdESq5HUwm7O-Piq9vADeGgz9q1BCGfSQ0QbxUy0VoF9ur79UWAH7jLBIQGWGDX0E_BgduzE1mFN9cg/s640/blossoms+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The main aim of this blog is to share what the children get up to each day in order to inspire other parents who are facing temporary homeschooling for the first time. However, I will also share my thoughts on this pandemic, both my feelings on how this is affecting us as a family unit and my reactions to what's happening in wider society at this time. I hope you will enjoy following us on our journey and I hope that this blog will motivate and inspire you to work on your relationships with each other rather than worksheets and spelling tests. In this time of uncertainty we need each other more than ever. Let's make this time the best it can be. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although England is not on an official lockdown yet, the Prime Minister has advised us to socially distance ourselves from others. So, this is what we are now planning to do. I expect some kind of official lockdown will soon be inevitable. Stay safe everybody.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With love from lockdown x</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Weronikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08513401454484452756noreply@blogger.com0