Katie Jayne Junior Blog – April 2022

So many great things to catch up on over the May Bank Holiday and throughout the rest of May, right up until the Whitsun school holiday. We have all of the details covered here for you. Get the whole family involved and choose some fun things that you can all take part in.

Our absolute favourite discovery this month is a place where ‘salt made from tears of laughter’, ‘cubed earwax’ and a jar of ‘swamp scrub’ are the norm. Find out more below.

Do you need help with story writing? We give you some great tips to embellish and enrich your stories bringing them to life…

Of course, we could not let this month’s blog go by without encouraging you to have a go at our educational activities. Good luck!

Hope you enjoy our blog for May and see you next time…

Katie and the Team

Katie Jayne Tutors-Senior Blog March 2022

Covid hit hard in February and March and with the easing of social restrictions, the follow on meant that many more people caught the virus. However with teenagers now having their vaccinations and the older and more vulnerable receiving vaccine booster number four, it is clear that the vaccination programme is here to stay.

We all hope that you and your families have managed to get through this period well.

Seniors are now in the thick of exam prep or university applications; it can be quite a stressful time with deadlines looming, but a good clear schedule always helps to keep you on track. We chat to a friend of the Katie Jayne team to find out how you can help yourself stick to timescales, hit deadlines and live the next few months a little more stress free.

We had to comment on the recent report on how social media is affecting the happiness of our seniors and what can be done to limit exposure to vulnerable feelings amongst 13-19 year olds.

As always we love to hear from you and would really appreciate feedback on what is helping you with the juggling act of being a young adult and what you would like help with. Our team are a great resource and often know a great life hack which could really help.

Thanks for taking the time to read the blog this month.

See you next time.

Katie and the team

Katie Jayne Tutors: Out with the old & in with the new…

What a year! I can hear you all echoing those words. None of us thought that we would have been through so much last year and all of us will be hoping that this coming year brings signs of improvement. The vaccination campaign in the UK has been exceptional and now with boosters giving us all that extra protection hopefully we can move into 2022 with a positive feeling.

It has been a really challenging year for students, who I believe faced Covid head on by returning to the classroom whilst most of us were still working from home. Hats off to all of the children who stepped into the classroom and managed to slide straight back into school work and lessons after such a long period of being absent. Parents too have had an unusual time, children at school but working from home and dealing with the fact that this alone opened them up to the possibility of Covid-19 coming into the home, and trying to consider older or more vulnerable family members.

Teachers have put themselves on the line, many contracting Covid, whilst back in the work environment, but all of them wanting to be back in the classroom to provide that much needed educational and emotional support that their students needed. Thank you to you, a much needed break over Christmas will now see renewed energy ready for the New Year.

In my own life much has changed, my family has a new member, Jesse Frederick Gaida who was born on 7th October weighing 7lbs 3 oz. More on that later.

The Christmas break now a distant memory and we know that our students and families will need to concentrate on the academic year ahead, we shall journey with you throughout and so here we hope to try and provide fun activities for all of the family, educational activities for all students and some interesting news items for parents.

And finally, we at Katie Jayne Tutors wanted to wish all of our parents, students and teachers a Happy and Healthy New Year. Watch out 2022!

Katie and the team

Parent Blog Issue Number: 8 November 2021

At Katie Jayne Tutors we often write about issues affecting children, their lives; both social and educational and how to help parents through the educational system. However, in the run up to Christmas we know that parents have so much to think about, what with all of the extra school activities, working, a multitude of additional social events and of course the festive preparation. So, this month we have decided to delve into the mystic art of how to achieve more and the methods we use to create more time in our day…I know! I know! Impossible, mmmmmm… let us show you how below.

It is also our great pleasure to announce yet another award for Katie Jayne Tutors, that’s four in total! The consistent, hard work of Katie, the support staff and all of the tutors in the team have once again found themselves at the top of the list when it comes to choosing the right tutor for your child. Thank you to Lux Life who run the Parent and Baby Awards annually, for nominating Katie Jayne Tutors as Best 1:1 Tuition Support Provider – UK and to everyone that voted for us. Read more below.

Next month our blog will concentrate on activities for the festive season, whether you and your family celebrate Christmas or not there will be lots of fun things to do during the winter break and plenty of educational activities to keep your children on the academic path over the four week break. We shall look forward to seeing you again soon.

Thank you for reading.

Katie and the Team.

Parent Blog Issue Number 7

Welcome to our parent blog where we look at articles that affect parents and topics to help you help your children. We are here to help so please feel free to get in touch on any topic. Alternatively, if you have an interesting subject that you think other parents should be aware of, feel free to get in touch so that we can spread the word.

We are also delighted to announce that Katie Jayne Tutors has won their third award, voted best 1:1 Tuition Support Provider – UK. More information to come on that next month.

This month we investigate the School Covid-19 Vaccination Programme, Labour’s plans to abolish the charitable status of Private Independent Schools, how to help your child understand plastics in our oceans and how to not be afraid and the importance of STEM subjects and why you should encourage your child to take an interest.

Thanks for reading.

Junior Blog: 1st September 2021

Welcome to the 26th edition of the Katie Jayne Tutors Junior Blog.

After the long summer (which we can safely say has been one of the cloudiest on record!), we are definitely looking forward to getting back into the classroom. Enjoying that first day, catching up with friends, hearing all of their news and telling them yours, excited about what the Autumn term has to offer us, new subjects to learn about, sporting activities, creative studies or perhaps you are looking forward to entering the music room again and picking up your favourite instrument? All the buzz of being back to school with your teachers and fellow students.

Some of you will be entering Year 6, this will be the year that you hold that cherished spot of being at the top, an ambassador for your school and mentor for those younger than you. Here you can offer to help with the younger children, assisting them with their reading or helping them play in the playground or buddying up with new starters over lunch. A very important role indeed and one that you should take seriously but enjoy to the fullest.

This edition we look at what it means to be in Year 6, how Mary Anning made her name by being a beach and animal lover and give you the usual Outdoor Activity section, Competition Time, Cook’s Corner and Katie Jayne’s much loved ‘Book Club’.

Enjoy the read, and don’t forget to get in touch with your summer holiday pictures, you know we love them.

This new academic year go for it and take on all of the experiences open to you.

See you next time!

Senior Blog 1st August 2021

It has been far too long since we were in touch last…

We hope you have all been well and looking after yourselves. Three weeks into the summer holidays and there is so much to pack in. I am sure many of you will be off on a staycation or spending time with family and friends. We have a few ideas in our Activities as to what you can get up to over the next few weeks, some educational and some totally fun!

We have our usual competition to get involved in (but be quick as the deadline is the 6th August), bat walks to take part in and our media and gadget chart.

We never let bad weather put us off, ‘there is no such thing as bad weather only bad clothing!’

So we give you some ideas on what to do in all weathers.

Whatever you do this summer, have fun and enjoy time with your friends or family.

Enjoy and see you next time!

Sam

P.S Take a look back across previous Senior Blogs to give you extra ideas of fun things to get up to.

Parent Blog Issue Number 6 Monday 28th June 2021

Katie Jayne Tutors is pleased to provide relevant and informative educational information to parents and gives free access to all sorts of resources via its Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages. For golden nuggets of help in bitesize chunks, just follow or sign up for our blog sent straight to your email – you can sign up at the bottom of this blog or on our website where you can also follow the links for our social media pages.

This issue we look at how parents can help their children to get back into the swing of learning and how to maintain it over the holidays. We look at how best to provide wrap around support and what questions to ask your child’s teacher so that you can build that wrap around solution specifically for your child.

Remember you can always call us if you have any further questions, we are very happy to help.

We are fast approaching the summer holidays, so next time our Junior and Senior Blog will look at our chart topping list of activities to keep the kids active, busy, entertained and still educated during the long summer break.

Hope to catch you next time.

Katie and the team.

Katie Jayne Parent Blog Issue Number 5 – 14th June 2021.

Glad to have you back with us. This week we look at how Covid-19 has affected your child’s education with an expected budget cut and the outlook for exams in 2021/2022.

i – Education has just released an article stating that the Government has introduced a stealth cut totalling a loss of £118 million from school budgets in England. Read more later on…

Also, we look at the news that those in the exam industry say they are worried about a risk that high grade inflation could damage the credibility of results, while they are expecting to see big disparities between state and private schools. This has led experts to predict a second year of results “disruption” this summer.

Finally what does Simon Lebus, the interim chief regulator of Ofqual, have planned for exams in 2022?

Thank you for joining us.

Katie and the team.

Katie Jayne Tutors Parent Blog Issue Number 4 – 7th June 2021

Having heard from many parents asking for help with extra tuition, the same question popped up time and again: What can we do to help support our child’s learning? Here we hope to provide you with some useful tips to help support the way you and your child approach their school work.

To find out more do read on.

Thank you for joining us and we hope to see you next time.

Katie and the team.

Parent Blog: 24th May 2021

Great to know that our Parent Blogs are being well received! We love all feedback from our readers… So here we go for another round of helpful information for parents focusing on:

-How will GCSE and A-level grading work in 2021?

-Advice for GCSE and A-Level students in the run up to the Summer

-The importance of preparing for tests and coursework

-How parents should be encouraging their children to continue working as if it were any other year

We are here to help and if we can be of assistance then do give us a call or email us at info@katiejayne.co.uk

See you next time.

Katie and the team.

Senior Blog: 1st May 2021

Welcome to Katie Jayne’s Senior Blog Issue Number 25.

Taking time out to understand some of the important things this month, we take a look at why understanding asthma is so important, how to write a limmerick and what to do if you have a lost a sock or two.

So much has happened in the world since our last Senior Blog in January so we shall be catching up with our ‘Media and Gadget Chart’, looking at why Dua Lipa, Oti Mabuse and Sophie Ellis-Bexter are so fit in ‘Feel the Burn’ and delving into the minds behind the science of our Future Fuel in our ‘Educational Activities’.

Competition time includes along the river with Horrible Histories giving away River Thames Cruise tickets and how to take part in the Science Museums free talks.

Hope there is something for everyone here, enjoy the rest of the Spring term and see you next time.

Sam

Junior Blog: 1st April 2021

Welcome to the 25th issue of Katie Jayne’s Junior Blog.

So good to be back with our Junior Blog and so good for you to all be back in the classroom. We can imagine how wonderful it was to see your friends and teachers and to be back in the school building. It can be tiring getting back to a more physical day, so don’t be surprised if you feel exhausted until you get back to a good rhythm with school life again.

There is so much to cram into this edition and we hope you find it all of interest. If you love music and enjoy music composition take a read of the first article below.

Our second article is about a historic and interesting item of news first released in 1957 when the BBC ran its first report on the new Spaghetti Harvest where the weather conditions had created a super crop of spaghetti. The plants died off through the 1960’s through to 2020, but this year, in the heart of Kent, the bush has been successfully grown giving its owner over 2kgs of spaghetti. We speak to Mr Afool to find out more.

We have our usual items: Outdoor Delights, Cook’s Corner and the very popular Katie Jayne’s Book Club.

Don’t forget to get in touch with us anytime. We always love to hear from you. You know where we are info@katiejayne.co.uk.

Have a great month and we shall look forward to seeing you next time.

Sam

Parent Blog: 1st March 2021

Welcome to the Katie Jayne’s Parent Blog Issue Number 2.

Normally we would be saying ‘well done for getting through half term’, but now we are shouting from the roof tops; ‘well done for getting through another lockdown’. Guidance was issued on February 16th to state that the return of all school children would commence on Monday 8th March. YOU DID IT! Well done! There have been many times when you thought you would not make it or that you beat yourself up about that lost lesson due to internet connectivity or the inability to help with that really hard math homework. You did the absolute best that you could and nobody could be prouder…

Speaking of being proud, Katie Jayne Tutors received the tremendous news that, for a second time this year, Katie Jayne Tutors has won an award bestowed upon the company for its magnificent work with regards to the tuition of children. This award is proudly sitting on Katie Jayne’s shelf in the office and was awarded to Katie Jayne Tutors for being ‘The Tuition Company of the Year 2020/2021’ and because we are so proud we shall dedicate a section to this award and to the staff and teachers that make such an accolade possible later on in our blog.

So what do we have in store for you this month? We shall be looking at ‘Hush Hush tips for school entrance’ in our Knowledge Station, ‘Where is my child at?’ which looks at what your child should be doing at what stage in their academic life and how you, as a parent or guardian can help them along the way. We also discuss tough issues that affect our children and talk to one of our teachers in our ‘Meet the Teacher’ section. We have listed a number of articles that hit our ‘Educational Desks’ that we feel parents may be interested in. Then to finish off, articles or information of interest in our ‘Guardian Angel’ section looking at GCSE and A Level plans for 2021 and finally, this week we highlight The Woodland Trust in an article that we hope you will find interesting.

Don’t forget we are always looking for those wannabe writers to come forward with an interesting article, whether that be from your child or from you, so feel free to drop a line to Sam – info@katiejayne.co.uk We really look forward to hearing from you.

Enjoy the read!

Sam

Parent Blog: 1st February 2021

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Parent Blog Issue Number 1.

It has taken a while for us to write a parent blog, probably because we wanted it to hit all of the right notes for our parents and for parents around the UK and internationally. We also wanted to ensure our Junior and Senior blogs were really flying and with over 25 issues each having been released, we are thrilled with how much positive feedback we have received about them. Now we want to give something to you, the parents! Having access to hundreds of teachers and professionals within the education sector has meant that we can channel the latest information, trends, worries and educational inspirations into this blog. Being able to help parents means so much to all of us. We hope this blog is of great use to you.

We would love you, our parents, to get in touch with us at any time. Being here to help really is just that! Some of you may have a topic that you would like us to cover in forthcoming editions – so let us know. Our email is info@katiejayne.co.uk and Sam is your contact for all blog items. We also feel that feedback is a gift, so let us know what you think of our articles or if there is simply something you would like to chat with us about in more detail.

In this first edition we reintroduce you to our team, we delve further into issues that may be bothering you or your child: sugar awareness, loneliness and childhood obesity. We take great pleasure in highlighting Karen Darke MBE and her Paralympic journey right through to her Pole of Possibility Challenge that your children can get involved in. We laugh with you and feel your pain in our ‘Feel Blessed not Stressed’ article and offer you the chance to read through some items that have come across our desks in our Guardian Angel section. We give some tips to help your child with 11+ interviews and finally, half term is just around the corner so we have a whole heap of activities for you and the children to enjoy and much more.

So without further ado, let me say welcome to our Parent Blog Issue Number 1 and allow me to introduce you to our team.

Hope you enjoy the read.

Sam

Senior Blog: Thursday 21st January 2021

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Tutors Senior Blog Issue Number 24.

There are some really interesting days of note that we wanted to highlight to you this week: Sugar Awareness Week and Celebrit-teas run by the Samaritans, both of these national awareness days are of great relevance to your age group. Have a read and find out why.

Also this week we are doing a shout out to any budding writer who would like to ‘give an article a go’ . Find out how below.

Squirrels feature this week, as it is Squirrel Appreciation day today. We were not sure how to show a squirrel that you appreciate them, so we took a look at the National Wildlife Federation and the Interactive Centre for Research into Squirrels.

Some fab sport and exercise challenges in ‘Feel the Burn’ this week. Take a look.

Hope that you are all taking care and we shall see you next time.

Sam

Junior Blog: 18th January 2021

Welcome to the 24th issue of Katie Jayne’s Junior Blog.

We have had some frosty photographs in from our readers, showing us some of the wonderfully magical scenes they came across over the weekend when the weather took a dip to minus 2. These photographs reminded me of Narnia from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. So much so, that this book will take a place in this week’s Katie Jayne’s Book Club. With it being Winnie the Pooh day on January 18th we definitely could not leave out House at Pooh Corner. This is part of the second edition of AA Milnes books about Winnie the Pooh and famous for the introduction of Tigger, one of the countries most loved characters.

There are so many interesting things taking place at the moment, so we decided to mention a few of them in today’s blog. We have World Religion Day, Sugar Awareness Week and Brew Monday.

We all love to be outdoors in the frosty and snowy weather but we mustn’t forget about our dogs… See our lovely picture of little puppy Pixel as he enjoys a run in the park. Who doesn’t love a cute puppy?

Don’t forget we are looking for a young writer to send us in an article for our blog. If you think that you have got what it takes, or you have a fab idea for an article get in touch. Just ask your parents to email Sam at info@katiejayne.co.uk.

Hoping you really enjoy the read and see you next time.

Sam

Senior Blog: 7th January 2021

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Tutors Senior Blog Issue Number 23.

We would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year for 2021. Let us all hope that this year will bring renewed positivity and a bright outlook for us all.

In a week where you would have been looking forward to going back to school to see friends and classmates, we may yet be spending a little longer working and studying from home. In our article, ‘Skipping through lockdown’ we give you a few basic tips on how to skip your way through the next few weeks taking on lockdown with ease…

Cathy is back this week to show you how to make mentoring work for you and if there were ever a person to look up to and to help you remain positive it is Karen Darke MBE, this week we unravel her uplifting personal story. Having suffered an horrific climbing accident, Karen faced an amazing journey and we marvel at the personal triumphs that she has notched up over the last few decades. Once you have read her incredible story we shall be asking you to get involved in Karen’s next challenge, The Pole of Possibility. Read on to find out more.

Hoping you enjoy the read and we shall see you next time.

Sam

Junior Blog: 4th January 2021

Welcome to the 22nd edition of the Katie Jayne Tutor’s Junior Blog.

Whilst Christmas this year might have been very different to usual, we hope it was a wonderful affair for you and your families. Here at the Katie Jayne Tutors family we found some fantastic positives to sharing a smaller Christmas with our loved ones: We could really spend time together instead of rushing around here, there and everywhere, we made sure that we telephoned or video called those that were on their own, we carried on with our Christmas traditions, but had more time for them and we actually got to relax and spend some time at home with loved ones. We know that you will have all made the most of the Christmas period and will have enjoyed curling up on the sofa watching a Christmas movie with your families, eating far too much and not missing school at all…

Some of our readers have asked us why December 26 is called Boxing Day? See our response below in Katie Jayne’s Interesting Facts…

As it is a new year we thought that we would kick off 2021 by reminding you of the names and faces behind Katie Jayne Tutors. See our Who’s Who section below. All of the usual pieces are included in this week’s blog but because you are not quite back to school yet we thought we would take this opportunity of introducing you to a very special lady, Karen Darke. We chat to her about her life so far, her charitable work with the Spinal Injuries Association, her gold medals, land speed record and her next challenge, The Pole of Possibility. We would love our readers to get involved…so read on.

We hope you enjoy the read and make the most of your last few days of the holidays. Happy New Year to all of our readers, here is wishing you all a positive and healthy 2021.

Sam

Senior Blog: 17th December 2020

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Tutors Senior Blog Issue Number 22.

Mentoring month will be upon us in the New Year and we spoke to a few of our colleagues who have the joy of mentoring others and what that means for them. Find out how you can get involved in a mentoring scheme at your school and what the benefits are for you and for others.

Most of you will have broken up by now and shall be at home enjoying your Christmas holiday. But there are a few of you who will be breaking up at the end of this week. As you know, we do not like to set you too many educational items when you are on holiday, but there will be a few fun items that are educational too! Take a look at the Educational Activities at the bottom of the blog.

All of the usual items included below to take a look at – Media Chart, Feel the Burn and finding a Pen Pal within this week’s Educational Activities. Give something new a go and enjoy your Christmas holiday! See you next time…

Sam

Junior Blog: Monday 14th December 2020

Welcome to the 22nd edition of the Katie Jayne Tutor’s Junior Blog.

I could not resist but share with you one of my favourite biscuits, I call them Sameretti. If you love almond, you will love these little nuggets of yumminess, and they look like snowballs – what is not to like? If you have been doing any Christmas baking please send me some photographs. You know how much we at the Katie Jayne office love our food and love to see what you have been up to.

We thought that it might be quite nice for you, our readers, to take some of the things you learnt over the summer when many of you were helping in the garden and utilise those skills during the winter months by growing some herbs indoors. We use so many herbs in our cooking, mostly parsley, mint, basil and thyme, but you can grow the herbs that you love the most and the great thing is that you then have a fresh supply all winter long. Take a look at our ‘How to Grow Parsley’ article below from Happy DIY Home to help you. Good luck!

Christmas Jumper day went off with a bang in our office. Everyone arriving with their colourful Christmas jumpers on Friday. I am sure that you all got involved as part of your school fundraising efforts. In our write up below you can see where all of your raised funds go and what Save the Children do with all the money.

Many of you will be breaking up at the end of this week ready for the Christmas holidays, so much to look forward to and so much to do. Have a great last week at school and we shall see you in a few weeks.

Sam

Senior Blog: 3rd December 2020

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Tutors Senior Blog Issue Number 21.

So much to fit in before Christmas, decorations to put up, presents to buy and wrap, Christmas cards to send and lots of Christmas baking to do… We love Christmas…..

We wanted to take time out to remember that some people do not have loved ones to share a Christmas meal with or receive a card from and some children will be waking up this Christmas with no presents under their tree, so take a look at how you can cheer up someone else’s Christmas this year by getting involved in one of the mentioned charities.

We take a look at some very easy items that you can make this Christmas to give to your loved ones…. a gift is all about the thought behind it not how much you spend. Use your creative flair to have a go, you may love it so much that you never buy another gift again!

We have some lovely recipes you take on and our regular ‘Media Chart’ and ‘Feel the Burn’ for you.

Don’t forget we are looking for one of our readers to get involved with our fortnightly blog by writing regular articles. Please send us an example of an article or item that you have written, something that suits the age range 11-18 years of age. We shall look forward to receiving your submissions. You could see your work up in print (so to speak!).

Catch up with you next time.

Sam

Junior Blog: Monday 30th November

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Tutors Junior Blog Issue Number 21.

Advent is upon us…What does your advent calendar look like? Why do we have advent calendars? When were they first introduced? What other festive traditions do you and your family and friends carry out?

Christmas is all about giving, so we are highlighting some great causes that you can get involved in this year, including ‘The Christmas Present Appeal’ and ‘The Book Trust’. These appeals will all have deadlines before you break up for the Christmas holidays so we thought we should highlight them now.

We have had some great photographs from our readers which we could not wait to show you: Jamie gives us a run down of his visit to the farm with his sister, some of you have made your Christmas wreaths and we have been baking in the Katie Jayne kitchen…our favourite Ginger Bread People!

‘Cook’s Corner’ goes all out with the best hot chocolate ideas and our ‘Outdoor Delights’ gives you ideas that you can all do in your own gardens however large or small.

Let’s get cracking…

Sam

Senior Blog: 19th November 2020

Welcome to issue number 19 of our Katie Jayne Tutors Senior Blog.

So many of you have written in with photographs of new pets that we simply could not resist adding a small photo gallery for you to ooohhh and ahhh over…

Plus, there is a great guide to what to focus on this term.

In this edition of ‘A Day In The Life Of…’ we look at the comings and goings of life as a film editor.

We chat a little about Anti-Bullying week and look at what you can do to help. How about Odd Sock Monday and Friendly Friday?

Enjoy the read and don’t forget to get in touch with us if you have any academic questions, or if you would like to share your own pet pictures, work or even if you would like to write an article for us. info@katiejayne.co.uk

Have a good week.

Sam

Junior Blog: 16th November 2020

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Tutors Junior Blog issue number 20.

There is so much to pack into this week, where do I start?

How about taking a trip with the wonderful and colourful birds that are all starting to make their long journeys home to the South for the winter months, or take an even further trip up into space with Tim Peake, astronaut extraordinaire, as he holds a Question & Answer session. Perhaps join in the Katie Jayne Tutors Book Club and choose a book for your age bracket. You could even read to your Mum or Dad or older / younger sibling, take a look below.

We know that so many of you have subjects that you love to read or learn about, so let us know what you love and we shall try to include it in our blogs. You can always email us at info@katiejayne.co.uk.

In the meantime, enjoy this issue and we shall see you next time.

Sam

Teacher Blog: Issue 2

Welcome to the second edition of our Teacher Blog, bringing together our community. This is a place for you to catch up with Katie Jayne news, to read discussions and articles about education related topics and a chance to have a moment of self-reflection with our guest counsellor article.

Just a teaser – we have exciting news linked to a recent award we have just won! Take a look at our article below for more details.

Do write to us and get involved, we would love to hear your comments and share your items with our community. Feel free to send us photographs or video content of your lessons…or perhaps you are passionate about a topic and would like to write an article for others to read. Share your experiences within a community that always helps to support its young learners, this blog is for you.

You know the email address info@katiejayne.co.uk so drop us a line. In the meantime, enjoy this edition.

Sam

Senior Blog: 5th November 2020

At last bonfire night!!! We have some great ideas that will help to make your November 5th go with a bang. Take a look as we guide you through the new rules of lockdown #2 and our interesting look at Diwali and the origins behind it.

This issue is your chance to vote for your Katie Jayne Tutor to be entered into the annual teacher award for greatness! Tell us if you think your tutor deserves to be rewarded and why. Votes in to us by 8th November.

Our Educational Activities take on a feel of the macabre with the scariest toys, whilst Feel The Burn gets you going with a Body Blast workout.

Have fun and enjoy the read.

Sam

Junior Blog: 2nd November 2020

Welcome to issue number 19 of Katie Jayne Tutors Junior Blog.

Bang, whizz sizzle, crackle and boom will be the words on everybody’s lips on Friday 5th November. Born in York, back in 1570, Guy Fawkes made his name as the conspirator who failed to blow up the Houses of Parliament.

During his time in the Army he adopted the Italian version of his name and became known as ‘Guido‘. In 1594 he joined a group of fellow English Catholics, led by Robert Catesby, in a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament in order to kill King James I and his Government. Fawkes was responsible for lighting the fuse to the barrels of gunpowder, which they hid under the Houses of Parliament.

Spoiler alert – Guy was caught before he and his men were able to carry out their plot and so were duly punished. Guy Fawkes is remembered today because of the failed plot.

Take a little trip down history lane and learn some more about this eventful evening all those years ago. Let us know if you find out something new!

We have some sizzling recipes for the night in question (with bangers and mash being at the top of charts of food eaten on November 5th and Parkin Cake being a traditional item that was always eaten historically on Firework night) and a few games to keep you active, but don’t forget to take a look at our regular Outdoor Delights and Educational Activities.

Enjoy the 5th November and enjoy going back to school, the second half of the autumn term is so much fun.

See you next time…

Sam

Senior Blog: Thursday 22nd October 2020.

A funny thing happened on the way to the…This is the title of our new game. Seeing as it is now half term and you can relax a little, we thought it would be a good idea to delve into the world of imaginative games. So here we go! Hope you have your brains in gear?

We also have our usual items, ‘Feel The Burn’, ‘Media Charts’, but no ‘Educational Activities’ this week, instead a look at a great charity event that you can easily get involved in and a brief stop to look at the world of social media….. and ethical social media – do you know what the difference is?

Of course we cannot forget that it is Halloween and Bonfire night coming up very soon, so we wanted to ask you if you would send us some photographs of your special family events for us to use in our end of year picture gallery.

Enjoy this issue and we shall see you next time, make the most of half term!

Sam

Junior Blog: 19th October 2020

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Tutors Junior Blog Issue Number 18.

Ahhhhhhhh… The run up to October half term, we love it. The air is crisp and the nights are drawing in; excitement about the thought of one or two weeks off school is all around and the prospect of Halloween fun and Bonfire madness looms.

We hope that your first half term has gone really well and that you have been able to slip back into school life easily. In this issue we get advice from our Counsellor, Cathy Salvi, as she talks about the changes that Autumn brings and some tips for the month of October. We will delve into the mysterious world of natural phenomena….. try getting your parents or siblings to spell the word phenomena ( pronounced – finomina). We explain all later on….

Spooky October lends itself to mystery and unpredictable weather, so make sure you are wrapped up warm. Take a look at how best to dispose of your unwanted winter coats in our charity section and try our lovely winter warmer soup recipe.

Make the most of your half term holiday, enjoy it and have fun! There are no educational activities this issue, have some fun and we shall see you in November.

Sam

Senior Blog: 8th October 2020

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Senior Blog, Issue Number 16.

It is great to have you with us. We are pleased to say that this issue is full of ideas on how to spend Halloween, an article from Cathy Salvi from the Surrey Counselling Centre about how to deal with change and our regular features, ‘A Day in the Life Of’, Media Charts and some helpful educational activities to help with your studies.

If you would like to write an article for our senior blog, please feel free to get in touch with us at info@katiejayne.co.uk.

Have a spooky Halloween and see you next time!

Sam

Junior Blog: 5th October 2020

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Tutors Junior Blog, Issue Number 17.

How chilly!!! And such a turn in the colour of the leaves….. it is really turning wintery. We have Halloween and Guy Fawkes night just around the corner and when the clocks go back on the 25th October it really will feel like winter is truly upon us. We love the change in the seasons and enjoy the beautiful variety of colours produced by all of the different trees. I love finding a big pile of leaves that you can wade through – our dog leaps through any pile of leaves he comes across, jumping and thoroughly enjoying stomping down as they rustle.

We have some wonderful ideas for Halloween in our ‘Get Spooky’ article and a few of our favourite winter recipes. Outdoor Delights should keep you entertained with lots of great ideas on how to keep busy over the holiday.

Enjoy the month of October and don’t forget, only a few weeks and it is half term…..

See you next time!

Sam

Senior Blog: 24th September 2020

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Tutoring Senior Blog, Issue Number 15.

We had so much to squeeze into this edition of the Senior blog that there was not quite room for everything, but we hope you find this week’s competition fun! Hopefully it will get you excited about creating and if you love writing songs, this is the competition for you.

We also have an insight into ‘friendships’, looking at how they can weather the Covid-19 separation and how to make the most of them and to keep connected.

If you would like to write a short article for our blog, please get in touch. We would like to encourage our students to take this opportunity. If you are interested please email: info@katiejayne.co.uk.

Have a good few weeks and see you next time.

Sam

Junior Blog: 21st September 2020

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Tutors Junior Blog Issue Number 16.

What a cracking first two weeks back to school – Well done mums and dads, carers and grandparents for managing to get back into the school run with grace and humour and a huge well done to all of you for getting through a very tiring return to school.

We have had a number of you mention that you have found it difficult not to hug your friends after not having seen them for so many months and how you wanted to give them a friendly slap on the back or handshake. We agree that it has been so difficult to keep your distance and stop yourself from being tactile. You may have noticed that our main feature photograph is of two Macacque monkeys cuddling up to each other. We thought this would be a good reminder that there will be a day when the dust has settled, when we shall all be able to return to our normal social behaviours….. but don’t worry, in the meantime, you can take advantage of your family members by giving them a hug at every opportunity.

Here in the Katie Jayne office, we enjoy nothing more than a cuddle with Clawdia Winklecat and Monkey. In fact they absolutely thrive on extra cuddles. We have included a few photographs of you with your pets. Thank you for sending in these wonderful shots.

Enjoy this week’s blog and just a reminder that it is Hygiene Poverty Week, take a look at our article below.

See you next time.

Sam

Senior Blog – 10th September 2020

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Tutors Senior Blog Issue Number 14

What a week! Last week was one of the most eagerly anticipated returns to school that we have seen in our many years of working within education. How fantastic was it to get back into the classroom and to see all of your classmates? We have heard tales of tears and laughter, of relief and joy at the return to the place that we often call our second home.

We want to keep you on top of relevant topics and to help you with your schoolwork, whilst also remembering to have fun along the way. It may be time for you to start your UCAS application or to start an extended essay or course work. Over the coming weeks, we can give a little guidance that will help in your endeavours.

We hope that the Autumn term is a great one for all of you. Time to get back to some normality, to look forward.

Join us every two weeks. We hope to keep you interested and enthused!

Sam

Junior Blog – 7th September 2020

At last…back to school! How long had you waited for the moment that you could put on your school uniform, prepare your school bag, rush out of the door and meet up with your friends on the walk to school or at the school gate? The return to school was one of the most anticipated days in 2020 so far.

How good was it to see your friends, catch up with your teachers, to sit in your classroom, and charge around the playground at lunchtime? Even though some of you would have been nervous, wearing masks and unsure of what to do and even though your movement around the school would have been limited slightly, it was still great to be back.

All of the teachers we know were so looking forward to you all going back. Your presence in the classroom has been eagerly awaited. Teachers have spent time over the summer months preparing lessons, tidying their classrooms and working on ways to help you all acclimatise to being back in school during Covid – 19. And what a great job they have done!

We had to start the new academic year off with a few suggestions on how to get back into the rhythm of school. This is one of our favourite terms, not only because we have missed our friends and colleagues over the summer break but because some of the best activities take place this term.

Enjoy this weeks blog and have fun over the week ahead.

Sam

Junior Blog – 24th August 2020

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Tutors Junior Blog Issue Number 14.

We know that you will all want to pack as much into your last few weeks of the summer holiday as you can, so we have packed in a number of great activities that you can take part in before you get back to the school routine. If you give them a go please send us some photographs. We love to see what you have been getting up to.

Join us in the world of Harry Potter and find out which family you would belong to: the Potter’s, Granger’s, Weasley’s or the Malfoyd’s. Take a look at our football section to learn new warm up exercises ready for the next school football season.

We hope you find this week’s blog interesting. Enjoy your last few weeks of the summer holiday.

Sam

Senior Blog – 20th August 2020

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Tutors Blog issue number 13.

For some of you today is one of the most important days of your life… GCSE results day! We hope that you are all pleased with the grades you receive. We know that you will have worked very hard over the past few years and then not to have an actual exam to sit was the curve ball that none of us were expecting. This year’s set of results will undoubtedly be the strangest in our lifetime. This week we have help and advice on how to cope with the good news and the not so good news and where to go for help and advice.

This advice will also relate to all of our older readers who were due to sit their A-level exams. Having received your results on Thursday 13th August, you will have had time to digest your grades and make some plans to move forward whether it is to university or into an apprenticeship or into the workplace. We are here to help, if you have any questions for us and our team please get in touch info@katiejayne.co.uk.

For those younger readers we are focusing on the preparation for the start of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Perhaps you have already completed your Bronze or Silver and you are moving up a level? All you need to know right here.

For some, exam grades and the return to school may be an upsetting or worrying time, so our guest counsellor Cathy Coombs has some encouraging words. This section will become a regular feature for a while as we guide you back into the swing of the new academic year. We hope you find it useful.

Great to have you with us and see you next time.

Sam

Junior Blog: 10th August 2020

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Tutors Junior Blog Issue Number 13.

Superstition states that because this is blog number 13 something untoward may happen. Keep your eyes peeled during this edition and let us know when you notice a spelling mistake or something that looks a little odd. It could be the wrong picture with an article or something that looks out of place. Have some fun with us and write in to tell us what you spot!

Good Luck!

Of course we still have our usual mix of great activities and educational resources for you, so take a look. This week we have a great feature which will make you laugh, ‘What do you Want to be When you grow up?’ and three great books to read for all ages.

Enjoy the next couple of weeks and we shall see you soon.

Sam

Senior Blog: 6th August 2020

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Tutors Senior Blog Issue Number 12.

We have been looking back at some of the great ideas, competitions, information snippets, thoughts and educational advice printed within the Senior Blog. If you haven’t read all twelve blogs they are available for you to check out, just go to the Katie Jayne website and click on blogs, or just click here (www.katiejayne.co.uk).

The middle of the summer holidays always gives us time to reminisce, with extra hours in the day to spend on doing the things we love and with a much more relaxed routine we find that many of our students turn to the creative. Having time for your mind to open up, allowing your creative juices to flow is so important. Take a read of our feature this week and delve into the world of creatives, see the benefit of your skills and look at how they can be the key to unlocking your future.

We have our usual regular items including a great new yoga workout and a guide to what’s new in the Media Chart and a competition that you must not miss!

Settle down and join us. Let us know what you are all getting up to and we shall see you next time.

Sam

Junior Blog: 27th July 2020

Welcome to KJ Tutors Junior Blog Number 12.

We have had so much fun this week enjoying the sun and catching up with our friends, going for walks with the dogs and going shopping…..

There is so much more to do now, especially with the return of the sunshine.

Thank you so much to all of you that have been in touch. We love to hear from you and we especially love to see what you have been up to. We have tried to add a few reader photographs in this week amongst our usual jamboree of items. We have lots of fun ideas for you, images of what others have been up to, this week’s WOWs, Cook’s Corner dishes up a delicious homemade pizza from our new pizza oven and a whole load of great educational activities to keep you entertained.

We hope you enjoy what we have to offer, let us know if you would like to see something special from us next time….

Thanks for joining us and have a great few weeks.

Sam

Senior Blog: 23rd July 2020

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Tutors Blog Number 11.

We know that many of you have managed to get away for a short break or a holiday and how nice it is to have a change of scenery, whether it is driving down to the West Country or up to Scotland or even taking a flight abroad.

For those of you who are having a staycation at home we thought we should help out with some more ideas of what to get up to over the next few weeks, but we also have some useful educational activities for those of you wanting to continue with your learning. There are some great tips for those of our younger seniors who will be making the transition to secondary school in September and we welcome you from our Junior blog to our Senior blog.

Take a look and get in touch to let us know what you have been doing and if there are any educational questions that we can help you with.

Have a great few weeks and see you next time.

Sam

Teacher Blog: Issue 1

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Tutors Teacher Blog Issue Number 1.

I hope to bring you a range of interesting facts, articles, discussion and items that will help you to navigate the teaching world and keep you up to date with what Katie Jayne Tutors has been up to.

For many of you this will have been the strangest period in your teaching career, a classroom with no children can be the most odd feeling for a teacher when usually the hum of daily school noise thunders around the corridors and in the classrooms. Our face to face connection with our pupils is the thing we all love, the thing that makes our day tick by in a flash. We have seen our teaching community rise to the challenge: learning new skills, teaching virtually, accessing children’s needs via video, still being vigilant for those of our pupils who are at risk and encouraging pupils to continue their learning journey over this most unusual of times. We salute you and hope to provide you with inspiration and motivation for September and the new academic year.

I usually have time to get in touch with all of the Katie Jayne teaching team, but this year has been so busy growing the business, onboarding new clients and expanding our team, and of course growing my own family with the birth of my son (hats off to all of you who are teaching pupils and keeping your own children entertained and educated at home, no easy task), so this will be my first communication to you all in a while.

Firstly, I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the hard work and dedication that you have placed into your teaching through continuing your lessons with our very grateful clients. You have been stalwart in your quest to teach our KJ pupils and keep them on their upward learning curve, thank you. Secondly, it is the companies fifth birthday this year and we are growing along with our students, with your help we can shout about the great work that we are all doing in the pursuit of excellence for our students.

Have a restful summer, relax and kick back a little.

See you next time.

Katie

Junior Blog: 13th July 2020

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Tutors Junior Blog, Number 11.

We don’t know about you, but we are thoroughly enjoying the slower pace of the summer holidays. We have been getting up a bit later, staying up a bit later and finding the time to do the things we love.

Thank you to one of our readers who has sent in a picture of their family clearing a beach close to their house, what a great job! Twenty five families took part in the clear up operation and apparently by the end of the day the beach was clear of debris, with over forty bags of plastic having been removed. We have also had a couple of pictures from you which have made us very hungry indeed! Some wonderful photographs of the afternoon tea’s that you have been enjoying and some great shots of the things that you have been up to. We will try and fit in a gallery of pictures to inspire all of our young readers.

So much to try and fit in to this weeks blog, we hope we manage it! There is a look at our first Book Club reads, something for everyone with three separate age ranges: “Everyone Got Wet”, “Disgusting Denzil” and “Storm Chasers” and of course our usual Walk On The Wild Side and Cook’s Corner.

Here we go and we hope you enjoy what we have to offer.

Thanks for joining us and see you in a couple of weeks.

Sam

Senior Blog: 9th July 2020

Welcome to the KJ Tutors Senior Blog!
Issue 10

For most of you the summer holiday has begun. Online lessons have ended and it is time for you to take a little time to relax and enjoy a well-earned break. We agree that summer is the time to chill, spend time doing the things you love and to make the most of the summer sun. We decided that we should send our blog out every other week throughout the summer, as we thought you would all be otherwise engaged in summer activities.

We know that many of you still like to study during the holiday period, so we wanted to keep our information rolling out so that you can take advantage of some extra catch up time. The summer holiday is a great time to get up to speed on those subjects that you find a bit more tricky or to get ahead with other subjects that you know will give you the edge when you are back in the classroom.

Hopefully we can provide you with what you need over the summer months.

This weeks feature gives you some great ideas of how to get out and about in ‘Let’s Get Back Into Summer’. We are putting our usual ‘Day In The Life Of’ on hold this week so that we can look at how you can stay safe whilst enjoying your summer activities. Mental well-being goes under the microscope as we move through the different stages of lockdown easing. Our usual regular items will take you through the media charts, ‘Feel The Burn’ and of course, some educational activities for those of you that just can’t stop learning.

Whatever you are up to this summer we hope that you find our blog useful. Let us know what you would like to hear about, how we can help you with your education challenges and let us know what you have been up to so that we may share with our readers, perhaps you can inspire someone else…..

Have fun and see you in a couple of weeks.

Sam

Junior Blog: 29th June 2020

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Tutors Junior blog number 10.

We find ourselves hurtling towards the end of the academic year. A time to wish our friends and classmates a fun summer holiday, time to thank our wonderful teachers for all of their hard work and time to think about having some time to relax and make plans for the coming eight week holiday.

At this time of year I always get quite emotional saying goodbye to my work colleagues, students and teachers. It is a time to slow down the pace of work slightly, arrange for the classroom animals to be taken home by a member of the school community and time to plan ahead for the next school year. A school without pupils is a very quiet place indeed, so I always look forward to September when I know lots of fresh faces will come walking in through the school gates ready to bring energy and life back into the school.

You probably have lots of activities planned for the summer, a much slower start to your day and the freedom to do some of the things that you love. We would love you to keep in touch with us and let us know what you are getting up to. During the summer holidays we are going to produce our blog every two weeks, but there will still be some great activities, fun ideas and competitions to get involved in.

Take a look below to see what this week’s blog has in store for you.

Thanks for joining us.

Sam

Senior Blog: 25th June 2020

Welcome to Issue 9 of the Katie Jayne Tutors Senior blog.

What a fantastic change in the weather! We thoroughly enjoyed spending time with our Fathers on Sunday and we hope that you did too. We would love to see any photographs that you are happy to share with us.

With Cinemas and Museums set to open from July 4th, we thought we would take a look at what shows and exhibitions are on offer now virtually and how you can travel safely to and from the venues. This week we look at what it would be like spending ‘A Day In The Life Of a Teacher’ with career help and advice and our usual dip into the media charts, exercise and education will hopefully give you some fun and interesting activities to take part in over the week ahead.

Lots to read and get involved in, so we hope you enjoy this week’s blog.

See you next time.

Sam

Junior Blog: 22nd June 2020

Welcome to the Katie Jayne Tutors Junior Blog issue number 9.

The highlight of my week was being able to cuddle my Mum, after not having done so for over three months, this was quite emotional. I hope your experience of getting back to a little normality has been a good one. Hopefully you have been able to hug your Grandma or Grandpa, or perhaps an Auntie or Uncle now that families are allowed a relative into their social bubble. Please write in and tell us about your own experiences, we would love to hear tales of your reunions.

This week we will be looking at the weather in our special feature. It has been a rainy and blustery week, not what we were hoping for in June, but we thought we would take a look at why our weather is changing and how climate change is affecting our world. Your generation will have a large role to play in helping to save the planet in the future. We also have a fabulous World Wildlife Fund competition for you and lots of fun educational activities for you to take part in.

We hope you all have a great week and we shall look forward to catching up with you next time.

Sam

Senior Blog: 18th June 2020

Welcome to Issue Number 8 of the Katie Jayne Tutors Senior Blog.

Thank you for joining us for another week. It has been a week full of rain and thunderstorms, not really what we had in mind for the middle of June. We hope that the rain has not stopped you getting out and about, especially now that lock down restrictions are being eased slightly with the introduction of support bubbles and the ability to meet with five people at a 2 metre distance in the open air. Perhaps for you that means that you can now see your grandparent or a family member that does not normally live in your house or maybe you have been able to see 5 friends together at your house whilst sitting socially distanced in the garden. The joy of being face to face with each other and all being able to speak at the same time and still be able to hear each other is wonderful! Unlike on recent Zoom calls that I have had where we all have to wait until one person has finished speaking before others can chip in.

The highlight of my week was being able to cuddle my Mum after not having done so for over three months, this was quite emotional. I hope your experience of getting back to a little normality has been a good one. Please write in and tell us about your own experiences, we would love to hear your tales.

Thinking about gaining your wings? This week we look at ‘A Day in the Life of a Pilot’, whilst our competition ramps up with the BBC’s Young Reporter Of The Year. Take a look and get involved.

We hope you enjoy the read. Thanks for joining us.

Sam

Junior Blog: 15th June 2020

Welcome to Katie Jayne Tutors Junior blog! Issue Number 8.

We thought we should remind you all that it is Father’s Day on Sunday 21st June, not this Sunday but the Sunday after…… Just enough time for you to make or buy a card and a gift. But what to get? We have done a little digging and have discovered a few really lovely items, see this week’s feature; have these ideas on us!

Some of us may not be able to see our Father on Father’s Day, but there is still the opportunity to choose someone in your life that is a strong male role model and tell them how supportive they have been to you throughout the year. It is always nice to get a thank you!

Other items this week include another fab competition for you to get involved in and our usual look at ‘Cook’s Corner’ and a great way to make your ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ fun. We hope you find lots to do this week, let us know if you have tried something new, read a new book, created a great piece of artwork or saw something that made you smile. Ask your parents to email us at info@katiejayne.co.uk to let us know all about it.

Have a great week and we will see you next time!

Sam

Senior Blog Thursday 11th June

Welcome to Issue number 7 of the KJ Tutors Senior Blog!

We wanted to remind you that it will be Father’s Day in a couple of weeks time on Sunday 21st June. Just enough time for you to make or buy a card and order a gift. But what to get? We have done a little digging and have discovered a few really lovely items, see this week’s feature; have these ideas on us!

For those of us that are not able to see our Father’s, why not treat your Grandpa or your male role model with a thank you for all of the things that they do for you year round.

Other items this week include: our usual look at the ‘Day in the Life of’ focusing on Accountancy, The World Photography Competition starts in July this year so don’t miss it and of course our Media Charts, Feel The Burn and Educational Activities.

Hopefully there is plenty here to keep you busy. Have a great week and we shall see you next time!

Sam

Junior Blog Issue No.7

Monday 8th June 2020

We know that many of you are missing your friends, so are we! We thought that it might be nice to concentrate on how you can connect with your classmates. We wanted to share some of the fun ideas that we have had to help you to connect with your friends.
This week we shall also take a wonderful journey into the world of hedgehogs or hoglets as they can also be known. A few weeks ago, I was out in our back garden stargazing with my twenty-year-old son and we heard a slight rustling in the hedge. On investigation, we discovered a lovely hedgehog out on its evening walk. To my surprise this was the first time my son had seen a hedgehog, they have become so rare that what was once a familiar sight to my generation was unseen to those of younger years.
This fascinated me, so I did a little research and found out that this July will see a boom in the hoglet numbers in the UK. Our feature this week is all about those wonderfully amazing little creatures that are making a comeback.
Enjoy this week’s blog and look forward to seeing you all next week.
Sam

Hedgehogs

In the last 18 years the UK has lost 30 percent of its hedgehogs, numbers are now at less than one million. If you would like to help the hedgehog population recover, why not build a hedgehog house for your garden. You are more likely to see hedgehogs in your garden if you build a small house for them because it provides them with a safe and warm place to hide.

Hedgehogs hibernate and rely on a secure place to have their young baby hoglets. Making a hoglet house does not have to be difficult or expensive. Look at our hog house here. The important thing for your hedgehog house is that it protects your hog from the winter weather and predators.

What will you need to make your hedgehog house?

A sheet of wood or an old patio slab
About 30 bricks, maybe less
Logs
A spade
Leaves
Gardening gloves
An adult

It is important to find a quiet spot as hogs do not like the limelight. Hedgehogs are easily frightened, so try and make sure that they are undisturbed. Build your hog house on a nice flat area.
Ask your Mum or Dad to dig a hole approximately eight centimetres deep and 40cm wide.
Add dried leaves to the base of the hole.
Start to build up the bricks around the hole in a square shape leaving a gap for a door. Build up either two or three bricks high. Hedgehogs may need guidance on how to enter the house, so you could lay a brick either side of the door making a porch type entrance for them.
Top the bricks off with your sheet of wood covering with logs to weigh it down and also camouflage the house slightly to ward off predators, or just place your patio slab on the bricks and lay your logs on the top. You can stack logs up the side of the brick walls on the outside too if you like.
To help your hedgehogs move around outside it is a nice idea to leave a space underneath fences so that they can move around through the gardens easily. You can also help your hogs in the winter months by providing them with a food source. Try putting out dog or cat food and a bowl of water and remember hedgehogs do not like milk as it gives them an upset tummy. Or you can ask your parents to consider buying hedgehog food (see the link below).

Hedgehog Food Suppliers

I hope your hedgehog house encourages a hog, you will be able to tell by the little huffing and puffing sounds characteristic of the little creatures. Let us know how you get on.

My Little Hedgehog Barney.

Competition

You could complete this week’s writing competition with a friend.

Why not do this week’s competition with a friend? If you love food, why not enter the Young Food Writer of the Year competition in partnership with the Guild of Food Writers. With your friend, write a short story around the theme of ‘Food and Heroes’. Your hero could be anyone as long as you write about the role that food plays in their life.

For example, do you have a family member who always makes you a wonderful birthday cake each year or perhaps makes you a warming soup when you are feeling unwell. Whoever it is – write all about it!

The competition is divided into three different age categories, each with their own word limit.

10 and under – 250 words

11-14 – 500 words

15-18 – 750 words

There will be a winner and a runner-up in each category. Please include the word count at the end of your story, this includes the title of the piece. GOOD LUCK!

When you’ve finished your story, send it by email to this address or to The Week Junior, Dennis Publishing, 31-32 Alfred Place, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7DP by the 30th June. All entries must include your name and age, as well as the address, email address and phone number of your parent or guardian.

The winning entries will receive:

An invite to the prestigious Guild of Food Writers Awards ceremony in October. There will be a tea party beforehand to give prizes out.

£100 book token per category winner.

A bundle of cookery books per category winner.

A certificate per category winner.

Name in the awards brochure per category winner.

For the 10 and under and 11-14 category winners: The winners’ stories will be featured in The Week Junior. They will also win a visit to The Week Junior office and a year’s subscription to The Week Junior.

One runner up per age group will win a £25 book token and will be invited to the October awards ceremony.

Good luck!

Katie Jayne’s Interesting Fact

There are some very interesting facts out there and I wanted to share a few with you from time to time. Some of these really made me laugh…

Did you know?

It is impossible for most people to lick their own elbow.

A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.

A shrimp’s heart is in its head.

It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.

Thought for the Week

To keep in touch with your friends, why not join the Katie Jayne Book Club together. Each month we will be looking at a different book and then chatting about it. Or you could set up your own book club with your own friends. Choose a book to read, spend the month reading it and then organise a Zoom call with your friends to chat about the characters in the book and which parts of the book you enjoyed and why.

This month we are going to choose the book ‘Open Very Carefully’ by Nick Bromley. Click the link here to either listen and watch or just read by yourself. Then we can chat about it next month. We will be interested to see what you think.

Open Very Carefully

Regular items...

Virtual Tea Party

Cook’s Corner

Because this week’s idea is to connect with your friends, we thought that Cook’s Corner should be a virtual tea. All you need to do is gather your friends.

First things first, you need to invite your favourite group of friends and set a time and date when everyone is available. Ask your Mum and Dad to help you set up your laptop in a comfortable location in the house. Lay the table, prepare some sandwiches and healthy nibbles (like carrots and hummus dips) or some fruit, get yourself a fruit juice and connect to Zoom. Now you and your friends can eat your special tea and chat like you would when you normally have a friend over to play after school.

Zoom Link Make sure you ask for your parents’ permission before downloading the Zoom application.

Enjoy!

Walk on The Wild Side

Continuing the theme of spending a little time with friends, and now that the government have allowed some outdoor exercise with a friend, as long as it is at a two metre distance, we thought this week it would be nice for you to meet a friend with your parents and go for a walk. A good way to keep two metres apart at all times is to take a skipping rope. You hold one end of the rope and your friend can hold the other, make sure the skipping rope is tight, then you know you are definitely two metres apart.

Educational Activity

Why not join this great dance workshop for 2-6year olds. This week their dance workshop is all about animals. Get your whole family involved.

Animal Dance Workshop

Do you love tigers? Take a look at these ten tiger facts.

Tiger Facts

History of Queen Elizabeth II

Head of the British Royal Family

Learning German

Join the children who are setting up a tuck shop.

German for KS2

Learning French

Join in the song to help you learn body parts.

French KS2

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