More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Schools across the county have taken to social media to spread happiness and laughter with their pupils.
St John's Catholic Primary School in Gravesend, Gordon Children's Academy in Rochester, the Victory Academy in Chatham and Rochester Grammar School all took part in multiple videos to keep spirits high at home.
Staff at St John's Catholic Primary School in Gravesend present Can't Stop This Feeling. Video: YouTube, St John's Catholic Primary School
Deputy head teacher Caroline Barron said: "I've worked at the school for 20 years and we've never seen or done anything like this.
"We only joined Facebook at the beginning of the year so it's all very new to us.
"I'm part of a Facebook group and saw that other schools had done videos similar, and I thought if they can do it, we can do it.
"So I emailed all our staff from teachers, teaching assistants, those still at the school teaching key workers' children and we all did our bit to make the video.
"Ellie Shields was the teacher who put the video together for me. The head teacher was unwell so he couldn't join in, but Ellie put his picture into the video."
The video was posted on Friday, April 3 and has already been viewed 2,315 times on YouTube.
Gordon Children's Academy in Rochester, the Victory Academy in Chatham and Rochester Grammar School also took part in a country wide performance of This Is Me from The Greatest Showman.
Students from all 17 schools across the Thinking Schools Academy Trust from Medway to Portsmouth sung in harmony as they called for all to #BeKind.
The Trust had a meeting about the video idea on Thursday, February, 27, after the news about Caroline Flack's death and when the #BeKind campaign movement was growing.
Filming of the video began on Monday, March 9 and ended on March 16 before social distancing measures were put in place.
The video was not intended to be about the Covid-19 outbreak.
However, when the pandemic worsened the trust felt the video was a priority to staff, parents and children as it promotes a positive message of being kind to one another during difficult times.
The performance was recorded across all 17 schools and cut together into one video.
It was orchestrated by head of performing arts at The Victory Academy, Sasha Sherwood, and director of education for Chatham, Mandy Gage.
The prominent vocals in the video were produced by students from The Victory Academy, in Chatham, in their recording studio.
They were supported by choirs from both Rochester Grammar School and The Gordon’s Children’s Academy, as well as the whole of All Faith’s Children’s Academy in Rochester.
Thinking Schools Academy Trust supporting #BeKind - This Is Me. Video, Youtube: Thinking Schools Academy Trust
Thinking Schools Academy Trust encourages all its students to #BeKind, and supports positive thinking and promotes wellbeing across the whole Trust.
Stuart Gardner, chief executive officer of The Thinking Schools Academy Trust, said: “It is truly wonderful to see the hard work of all the students – from our very youngest in infant schools to our sixth-formers – staff and wider school community come to fruition in such a heart-warming and moving performance.
"The video shows the many talents they have but also, and more importantly, how they are thoughtful, kind people."
The video was posted on Thursday, April 2, and has been viewed 1,173 times.
Teachers from Gordon Children's Academy also took part in their own video to keep morale high with their students who are learning from home.
A parent who works for the KM Group received an email from the school asking if the video could be shared.
Gordon Children's Academy staff said: "As a school we are very proud of our video to highlight to all the children and families within our care that we are still thinking of them. "
The school has had many positive comments across social media since the video was posted on Tuesday, March 31.
So far it's been viewed 1,172 times.
Be a Gordon Great! Video: Youtube, Gordon Children's Academy
Teacher Hanna Miller said: "We missed the children from day one and it was important to us to let them know that their school staff were thinking about them as well as an opportunity to emphasise the messages we'd been giving at school.
"All of this has really highlighted the fundamental role that school has not just in learning but being a positive, stable influence within the community."
For the latest coronavirus news and advice, click here.
