Shepley's Magazine Free to every Shepley household Issue No 19: June 2020 Photograph by Dinah Bentley Page 1 Page 2 Dear Readers, The main aim of Shepley’s Magazine is to connect and communicate with residents within the village. In April the coronavirus COVID-19 presented us, the magazine team, with a difficult decision: the lockdown came just as we received delivery of the printed magazines. We made the difficult decision to deliver the magazine within our daily exercise period but this raised concern with some of our residents for which we apologise. Each month we check with our delivery team and reconsider all the issues and at present we are still delivering the magazine. In addition, we have now managed to provide online access to a digital copy of the magazine on the village website at www.shepleyvillage.org/village-magazine. Initially we had this provision but recently we have been unable to post new versions. We are still working on the site but you should have access to a PDF version which will work on any device however the flip book magazine works on most but not all devices. We still believe the paper copy is the best for connecting Shepley as not everyone has access or the knowledge to download a digital copy. Should our area’s status change to a higher Covid Alert Level than the current Level 4 we may need to consider other methods of delivering the magazine to you. If this should happen look for posts on Shepley’s social media and posters around the village informing you of how to get your magazine copy. We are only one of many groups within Shepley facing these difficult decisions. Please tell our residents how your group has been affected and how you are keeping connected. One example is that the Shepley Bird and Wildlife Group has WhatsApp communication and they are sharing messages about curlew, lapwing, white throat, swallows, swifts etc. all returning to our neighbourhood. COVID-19 has also affected our family lives greatly and we would like to hear from you. How are you coping if you are isolating? Share your tips on making life bearable. How are you keeping your children busy and engaged? Have you found safer ways of shopping? Where do you exercise? Email us at the Hotmail address at the bottom of this page. If you run a local business or provide a local service, please contact us to tell residents what you are doing. As a resident please don’t ignore our local businesses. If you require goods or services, please give them a ring and ask them if they are still working and how they can provide services safely during the virus. With COVID-19, communication is more important and the magazine is here to help but we cannot connect Shepley residents without you so please get in touch and let’s communicate. Many of you will have noticed an array of colourful stones popping up around the village, how many can you spot hidden in this month's magazine? Stay safe and well. Shepley’s Magazine Team. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Email contributions by the 12th of the month to: [email protected] All other enquiries including advertising to: [email protected] If you would like a PDF digital copy of the magazine email: [email protected] Page 3 Shepley First School (SFS) The whole of April and May have been extraordinary times in the history of SFS, with just a small number of children attending each day and being looked after with great care by staff members, caterers and cleaners working on a rota. Governors are of course unable to meet in the usual way or visit school, but we have been kept in touch with developments, and have seen samples of the kind of work and encouragements which staff have sent home for children to do in order to sustain some of their learning and school-life experience. Governors also have the opportunity to continue to “log-on” to training opportunities and on 25th May we are holding our first video-link meeting, which will be particularly important following the announcement of the proposed return of some year groups to school on 1st June. Mrs Bowman, Headteacher writes: “I am sure many of you, like the staff at SFS, watched the Prime Minister’s announcement on 10th May that there will be an easing of some of our lockdown restrictions. The Government’s aim is that Reception Year, Year 1 and Year 6 children may be able to return to school from 1st June. Schools received Dept. of Education guidance about this on 11th May. There are many considerations to take into account to ensure that children and staff are safe and happy on return to school. The health of everyone connected in any way to the school will always remain our top priority and we have begun to put together a comprehensive plan to enable this to happen. The pathway for a return to school will not be easy or straightforward….and nor will school be able to return to previous routines. We have the challenging task of redefining a new normal whilst trying to maintain a quality education and a happy, relaxed and enjoyable experience for the children. Our parents have been incredibly supportive and have gone to great lengths to keep the number of children continuing to be in school to the fewest possible. We are hugely appreciative of the sacrifices people have made and we know that some have struggled and had tough times. The situation at Shepley remains the same at the moment (15th May). School is closed and open only to those children of key workers, where children staying at home is not a viable option and to vulnerable children. For parents of our Year 5 children who are about to make a transition to Middle School, it is a particularly uncertain time. There has been no consideration at Departmental level of the Year 5 and Year 8 transition that children in our local pyramid have to new schools. The national emphasis has been on Year 6 as nationally this is the stage at which the majority of children move from primary to secondary school. We continue to work closely with Shepley Pre-School and all headteachers within the pyramid area are consulting with each other about how each school will manage the return to education for children in the communities they serve”. In these strange times, everyone can be assured that the whole SFS community will stay very alert in carrying out their responsibilities for ensuring the safest and best possible primary education provision for the village. Anne Mace (Community Governor) Page 4 A Time for Perspective The following has been seen on social media and read by a number of residents who have highlighted it to us. Food for thought. We probably all think that it’s a mess out there now. Hard to discern between what’s a real threat and what is just simple panic and hysteria. For a small amount of perspective at this moment, imagine you were born in 1900. On your 14th birthday World War I starts and doesn’t end until your 18th birthday. 22 million people perish in that war. Later in the year, a Spanish Flu epidemic hits the planet and runs until your 20th birthday. 50 million people die from it in those two years. Yes, 50 million. On your 29th birthday, the Great Depression begins. Unemployment hits 25%, the World GDP drops 27%. That runs until you are 33. Our country nearly collapses along with the world economy. When you turn 39, World War II starts. You aren’t even over the hill yet. And don’t try to catch your breath. On your 41st birthday, the United States is fully pulled into World War II. Between your 39th and 45th birthday, 75 million people perish in the war. At 50, the Korean War starts. 5 million perish. At 55 the Vietnam War begins and doesn’t end for 20 years. 4 million people perish in that conflict. On your 62nd birthday you have the Cuban Missile Crisis, a tipping point in the Cold War. Life on our planet, as we know it, should have ended. Great leaders prevented that from happening. When you turn 75, the Vietnam War finally ends. Think of everyone on the planet born in 1900. How did they survive all of that? When you were a kid in 1985 you didn’t think your 85-year-old grandparent understood how hard school was. And how mean that kid in your class was. Yet they survived through everything listed above. Perspective is an amazing art. Refined as time goes on, and very enlightening. So, let’s try and keep things in perspective. Let’s be smart, we are all in this together. Let’s help each other out, and we will get through all of this. Author unknown Sorry to see you go! The magazine team would like to take this opportunity to thank Phil Richardson for all his help in relaunching the magazine. He has been a key part of the team in raising the finances that have led us to where we are now. Phil and Moira have left the village for pastures new in Lincolnshire. I am sure we will see them back as soon as circumstances allow. We wish Phil and Moira all the best for the future and again thanks for all your help and support. The Magazine Team.