Congratulations Joel, our latest Half Millionaire!
Achieving this just before the half way point of the academic year means Joel is on track to become a Word Millionaire by the end of Y6. Well done Joel! 
Online video calling with random strangers. It’s hardly a new internet phenomenon – but the recent demise of Omegle has prompted the creation of several similar platforms bidding to fill the vacuum. One such contender is Monkey – a service that randomly connects its users for video calls, using their mobile numbers and Snapchat account details
Monkey has surged in popularity since Omegle’s shutdown in November 2023: visits to the site more than doubled within a month and have been climbing steadily ever since. Regrettably, it also seems that Monkey suffers from many of the same pitfalls as its notorious predecessor – our #WakeUpWednesday guide highlights these possible risks to young people in more detail.
With Omegle finally shutting down in late 2023, the top spot among video chat services is up for grabs – and Monkey has its eyes set on the crown. Randomly matching its users for 15-second conversations, the platform’s developers claim to have created a dynamic online space for people to make new connections and, potentially, even some new friends.
Despite these innocuous-sounding intentions, however, Monkey has been criticised for moderation which may not be comprehensive enough to defend against the obvious dangers that unregulated, random video calls pose to the younger element of the site’s userbase. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide tells trusted adults what they need to know about Monkey.
We have been informed that a small number of children in YRW (Mrs Wilkinson’s Reception class) have been diagnosed with suspected or confirmed scarlet fever. We have had one further case in Year 2.
Please be assured that we are taking extra measures in school to prevent the spread of infection (increased handwashing, extra cleaning of classroom surfaces.)
Please see link below for a letter with more information about symptoms, treatment and further public health advice:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uZ62jDzCeJZZyndGMh1fl19dw8pFIyuP/view?usp=drive_link
Congratulations to Abbey in Year 6 who is now a proud Half Millionaire.
Abbey has been enjoying the Lottie Brooks series of books and is aiming to be a Word Millionaire by May. Well done Abbey. 
Our fabulous Year 5 mini police team had a very interesting visit to the mounted section of Northumbria Police on Tuesday 23rd January. They were able to meet the horses and learn lots about the work that the mounted section does. They learned about the horses’ involvement in managing crowds at large events, and how they help in searches when someone has gone missing. They even met a horse and police officer who were in attendance for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth. It was a really interesting and enjoyable morning, and as always they were fabulous ambassadors for the school.
“The #1 teen dating website in the world” That’s the claim of MyLOL, which offers 13 to 19-year-olds the chance to rate each other’s pics, send private messages and contact strangers online. If that sets your alarm bells ringing, you’re far from alone: law enforcement agencies and schools in several countries have seen fit to issue warnings about the platform.
Among the main issues is the fact that MyLOL doesn’t have a reliable age verification method – meaning there’s no foolproof way to stop anyone outside the platform’s intended 13–19 audience signing up for an account under a false age. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide also highlights potential concerns around in-app purchases and the use of geolocation for sinister reasons.
Teenagers’ blossoming interest in romantic relationships and their devotion to online networking is a potent combination – and, regrettably, not always a safe one. It raises all kind of worries about the possibility of sharing intimate images or deeply personal information; and that’s simply with contacts their own age – to say nothing of the chance of connecting with an older stranger.
MyLOL – a site which specifically facilitates interaction between 13 to 19-year-olds – has amassed around a million users worldwide, but sadly its safeguarding protocols can’t match that level of success. The ease with which an adult could pose as a teen under a bogus birthdate makes grooming a realistic threat – and that’s far from the platform’s only risk, as our guide explains.
Congratulations to our latest batch of Half Millionaires in Y6.
Ella, Maizie, Elizabeth, Megan and Nathan are all determined to become Word Millionaires soon. Keep up the fantastic work!
We had great fun last Friday on our party day. We enjoyed lots of dancing, games and party food! Look how gr
eat we look in our party outfits!
We had great fun last Friday on our party day. We enjoyed lots of dancing, games and party food! Look how great we look in our party outfits!
Another huge congratulations to Harry in Y6, our first Word Millionaire of the year., What a fantastic achievement – well done Harry!
Harry likes to read long, fiction books and some of his favourite authors include J.K. Rowling, David Walliams and Philip Pullman.
