Healthy Lives Families Update - Covid-19 variant enhanced testing, make Eid lanterns, building on lockdown relationships and learn the alphabet in sign language!

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Healthy Lives - Banner 1 May 2020 - FINAL

PLEASE FORWARD TO YOUR TEACHING STAFF and PARENT CONTACTS

The Healthy Lives Team Families update contains helpful information and activities for your whole school community

 

This is the FAMILIES newsletter from The Healthy Lives Team. Each Friday we share relevant information, activities and resources to support your ongoing health and wellbeing.

The HEALTHY LIVES TEAM supports schools, pupils and families with everything to do with health and wellbeing. We want to help you to live fitter, healthier and happier lives.

We now have a Healthy Lives Team webpage where you can find out more about the team and access Healthy Schools resources and all our archived newsletters.


Surge

Covid-19 variants of concern in Tower Hamlets

A small number of Coronavirus (Covid-19) variants of concern have been identified in Tower Hamlets. These variants of concern were first identified in Brazil and South Africa.

Something is a variant of concern if it is not known whether it will spread more easily, cause more severe disease, or may not be supported by vaccinations - testing helps us learn more.

Areas variants have been identified

These variants have been identified in the area around E1 4 and E1 3 and some of E1 0, E1 1, E1 2, E1 5, E14 7, E2 0, E2 6, E3 4.

These areas include parts of Bethnal Green, Stepney Green, St Peters and St Dunstan’s wards. You can check your postcode using the link below and check if you are being asked to get a test.

Check your postcode here >

To help us contain these variants of concern, we are strongly encouraging everyone aged 11-years-old and over in these areas to get tested, even if they don’t have symptoms. To help people we are making tests more easily available for people in these areas. Everyone who lives, works or visits these areas should take a test. Information about testing and booking an appointment can be found using the link below.

Click here for further information>


Lanterns

Make beautiful Eid lanterns

The Book Trust have got a really fun activity for families, perfect for helping you to celebrate Eid al-Fitr! Author Sarah Shaffi is here to show you how to make beautiful lanterns from her fun activity book All About Eid - why not have a go?

Watch here >


Parent

Parental Engagement – Building on lockdown relationships

Maintaining the effective home-school communication built with families during lockdown is crucial to ensure the momentum of the past year is not lost and throughout lockdown many parents attended the virtual learning platforms and support forums delivered by the Parental Engagement Team. The team are continuing to offer support and virtual / blended sessions and forums for parents which are now available to schools individually or as a shared package across school partnerships.

The Parental Engagement Bitesize Bouncing Back Package offers a programme of  three virtual workshops/webinars delivered over half or one term to help parents to re-engage with the school community, keep informed about the curriculum and to explore challenges and obtain support as children and families transition back to school life. Times are flexible to the needs of parents, including working parents and can be delivered throughout the school day, twilight and weekend sessions.

Virtual workshops cover:

  • Digital safety
  • Curriculum
  • Parenting
  • Health & wellbeing

To find out more about the Bitesize Bouncing Back Package please contact Denise.De-Goze@towerhamlets.gov.uk

 


sign language

How to sign the alphabet in British Sign Language

Lots of us have been trying our hand at new skills to pass the time while, but while some are getting fluent in French, Japanese, what about sign language? British Sign Language (BSL) has been around in some form since the 16th Century and was officially recognised as a language in 2003 – it’s the most common form of sign language in the UK. More and more people are learning to sign – and you can give it a go too.

 Find out more here >


And remember...

Mother Theresa

"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples."

Mother Teresa


TH Healthy Schools logo

The Healthy Lives Team

The Healthy Lives Team want to support you with all aspects of health and wellbeing. We will be sending you regular newsletters that will be relevant whether you are at school, work, or at home.

Please feel free to share this email.

We are incredibly proud in Tower Hamlets to have supported schools to gain more Healthy Schools awards than any other borough in London. So please use this newsletter in whatever way suits you best to stay as fit and healthy as possible.

If you're in a school, please share this newsletter using your social media or website using the following share button, or you can click the hyperlink in the top right corner of this email:

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Subscribing to this newsletter

Just to let you know, you're receiving this because you have either opted in to get emails from the council relating to children and education, or you are one of the Healthy Lives team's regular contacts, or you may also have been forwarded this email from your school.

If you or anyone you know would like to sign up to this newsletter, please use the following link. 

Subscribe to the Healthy Lives Families newsletter >

Take care,

The Healthy Lives team at London Borough of Tower Hamlets.


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