TWO SUNDERLAND teachers have turned their own families’ experiences during the COVID-19 crisis into a book to help other youngsters.
Rachael Fairclough and Jessica Sharman, who both work at St Anthony’s Girls Catholic Academy, have worked together to create The Quarantine Quads, a rhyming story about three children and a dog and their lives during coronavirus.
Rachael, a RE teacher and head of year eight, started to keep a video diary about her three children – six-year-old Violet, Pearl (five) and 12-month-old Clara – from the moment lockdown began.
And she has now used their experiences and that of her friend and colleague Jessica who has just bought a new puppy as the basis of the fun tale.
“I decided to create a video diary of what the girls were doing, from PE sessions with Joe Wicks online to having lessons at home to the weekly clap for carers,” said Rachael.
“And I decided to turn it into a story which hopefully would help other children to realise that they weren’t the only ones going through these very strange times.”
Rachael told Jessica what she planned to do and they agreed to add her new puppy into the story, with art teacher Jessica also providing the illustrations.
The book is now available via Amazon, with a percentage of the profits going to support the NSPCC.
“It’s been a really fun project to do and of course my girls love the fact they’re the subject of a book,” said Rachael.
“But I really hope it will also help other children who may have been concerned about what they’ve been though the last few months.”
The Quarantine Quads is aimed at primary school age children and is available on Amazon at £6.99.