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.
Another month has past us by and the children continue to impress us with their super reading abilities.
This month’s readers we were chosen for their AMAZING reading abilities but also because staff have noticed them working well with others, being good reading partners, helping others to choose new texts and always giving 100% effort with reading at home and in school.
We continue to be impressed and find it tricky to choose just one child a month!
As always the children got to pick a prize to take home, selecting a book from our collection. They were very excited to see the huge new range of texts which had been delivered and spotted some of their favourite authors!
A special mention to Scarlett from Y2 who has just started using AR but is trying really hard on her quizzes, to Lyla from Y1 who always helps her partner to correct mistakes when reading, to Dexter from Y3 who helps others to find new Non-fiction texts and quiz on AR and to Louie from Y5 for his fantastic AR results and for reading at home frequently.
Well done to all of our ‘Readers of the Month’. We hope you enjoy your new books.
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. 
“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!
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.
There’s no disputing how integral the digital world has become to modern life. It can prove difficult for many young people to stay off smart phones, tablets and other devices for a single day – even one as special as Christmas. In fact, according to a survey by e-commerce platform Groupon, almost 80% of parents and carers would prefer a festive period that’s free from technology
Going online, of course, is useful for checking in with friends and relations who we can’t be with, or for arranging celebrations – but if we allow gadgets to dominate our Yuletide break, that precious time could pass in a flash. This #WakeUpWednesday, we’ve got suggestions for keeping a handle on device use over the holidays, so your family can be truly together this Christmas.
With Christmas right around the corner, millions of families are excitedly anticipating the chance to spend some quality time with each other over the festive season. When everyone’s engrossed in their phones or glued to their games consoles, however, genuinely meaningful moments with loved ones can often be difficult to orchestrate.
Our Christmas #WakeUpWednesday guide will lend a hand: providing some advice on helping young people to set aside their devices for a while and live in the moment. Even if going full tech cold turkey feels unrealistic, implementing just a few of these tips could still decrease the amount of screen time in your home this festive season – enabling everyone to make the most of it.
More than 150 million subscribers worldwide 
Disney+ has enjoyed a steady rise in popularity since launching four years ago: the platform’s deep library of treasured old-school animated favourites, modern classics and original series means that it can offer a rich seam of engrossing content that caters for young and not-so-young users alike 
Of course, a consequence of this approach is the presence of the sort of age-inappropriate material one might not expect to find on the platform, given Disney’s fabled status as a purveyor of family entertainment. There’s useful advice in avoiding this pitfall (and more besides) in this week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide, as Disney+ comes under the microscope.
In 2019, media titan Disney launched its own streaming platform, intending to challenge the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime. Giving (often exclusive) access to shows and movies – such as the legendary studio’s animated classics and the revered Star Wars back catalogue – Disney+ has been a colossal success, proving popular with viewers of all ages.
Despite Disney’s reputation for wholesome, child-friendly content, however, there’s far more material available on their platform – some of which is aimed exclusively at adults. This could easily fly under the radar, given the company’s general image. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide has useful tips to help your family sit back, relax and enjoy what Disney+ has to offer.
Congratulations to our Reader’s of the Month who were chosen for their attitude towards Reading and taking care of our books and library spaces.
A special shout out to Harry in Y6 who is our first Word Millionaire of the year!, How amazing!
Well done to Amelia in Y6 who takes excellent care of our library, spending playtimes and lunchtimes organising the shelves and helping others.
We are also very proud of Hallie in Y3, Archie in Y4 and Scarlett from Y1, who make an extra effort to read at home and take great care of our books.
