I live in Felixstowe and am a key worker in Ipswich for the local council working as a bin man. I used to go out every Thursday at 8pm with my stepson so he could clap and beep the horn in my recovery truck. 

I have been on the front line all the time whilst this has all been going on and it has been nice to get letters and pictures from local children in Ipswich to show their appreciate for us bin men. It’s a very hard and physical job but is rewarding when we get little gestures like that from the kids so I just wanted to do this with my stepson every Thursday to show our appreciation too. 

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Hello my name is Yasmin Barratt and I am 13 years old from Felixstowe. I’m really happy to write an article that is published in The Felixstowe Magazine’s “Kids News” category!

I understand that it has been a very hard and tough time at the moment for everyone, and I have been doing my best to help out in the situation. Some things that I have done include:

Creating a page on Facebook called Yasmin’s Cakes and Bakes. This is a page where I post an assortment of recipes with step by step instructions and pictures. It’s has helped a lot of people whilst in lockdown, to follow the baking recipes, and I think the fact that the pictures are included, helps even more, because they can see how it is meant to look before and after every step. This is something that has kept people busy, and giving ideas for activities that will keep the children entertained whilst there is no school. I hope it has benefited not only people from Felixstowe, but from all around the world!

I have also created a group on Facebook called Felixstowe Lockdown Pen Pals. This is a group for people in Felixstowe and the surrounding areas to start writing to each other, and I think that this will make people feel less lonely and the kids more excited because they’ll know they’re going to receive mail. This group is designed for anyone at any age, and I am also planning on getting in touch with the care homes to see if any of the elderly people who live there would like to receive mail from anyone in the group. I am planning on maybe having a “Star Person of the Week” and this will consist of posting a photo of one of the people from the care home and writing some facts and interests. Then if anyone wants to write to them, they can just comment on the post and message me for any questions or concerns.

I am at the moment creating a recipe book full of other families recipes, or recipes that are from peoples home countries. This has made people feel more welcome, because they love the fact that I am interested in other cultures and cuisines. This book will also produce more recipes for Yasmin’s Cakes and Bakes, and people have already been requesting a copy of it, for when it is finished. I am still on the hunt for a lot more recipes, but so far, I have about 6! I am aiming to get at least 30 recipes, if you have any that would be amazing (you can get in touch with me on my Facebook page).

Lastly, I have been making face masks on my sewing machine for my mum who works at the NHS. I have also made some ear protectors for when she has to wear face masks at work, as it just makes life easier for her. On the subject of sewing, I have made my grandma a gardener’s apron and my grandad an artist’s apron. I have tried to cheer as many people up as possible, and make people happier during
lockdown!

Thank you for taking your time to read.

Yasmin

It continues to be business as usual at SET Maidstone Infants and Causton Junior School; although officially closed to students except to children of keyworkers and our specialist provision, all other schoolwork continues at home. Great work is being produced by our students – we are immensely proud of them and how they have adapted to these unprecedented times.

Our amazing teaching and support staff continue to underpin learning whether at home or in school, and we have had much positive feedback from local families.

Head of School at Causton Juniors, Julia Shaw, said,

“I am proud of SET Maidstone Infants and Causton Junior School, as we continue to go from strength to strength”.

It is hard to pick out some examples of this work but here are four, from our Kingfishers and Kestrels classes:

We are continuing with other activities, including warmly welcoming our September intake of students via online sessions for parents, to ensure they get a good introduction and be part of a smooth transition into our school.

SET Maidstone Infants School, Maidstone Road, Felixstowe, Suffolk IP11 9EG
01394 283375
maidstoneadmin@maidstoneandcauston.org

SET Causton Junior School, Maidstone Road, Felixstowe, Suffolk IP11 9ED
01394 283374
caustonadmin@maidstoneandcauston.orgwww.maidstoneandcaustonfed.co.uk

*Photos reproduced with permission © SET Causton Juniors.