Mrs Taylor, Author at Moortown Primary School, Leeds

Leeds Children’s Mayor

Good luck to Ahmed who is our entry for the Leeds Children’s Mayor competition. His manifesto is titled safe and independent.

Every year, year six pupils in primary schools are invited to enter the Leeds Children’s Mayor programme. Pupils write a short manifesto saying how they would improve Leeds if they were the Children’s Mayor. The manifesto must be based on one of the 12 wishes for a more child friendly Leeds.

Our entry this year, titled safe and independent, is by Ahmed. Here’s his manifesto. Good luck Ahmed!

If I was Children’s Mayor of Leeds, I would like to create a system which would mean certain shops have a poster on their window that shows the child walking past that it is safe in there. This means that if the child is scared about someone following them or doesn’t want to be out alone they can go in there and know that they are safe. This also follows one of the ‘12 Wishes for a more child friendly Leeds.’ This wish says that all Children and young people can make safe journeys and easily travel around the city.’ This is what would happen if I was Children’s Mayor.

To continue this manifesto, I would like to highlight that I am a strong leader and, as an observant member of year 6, I can listen and see problems. Furthermore, I can use my supportive fellow students, friends, and family to find solutions to problems. Plus, I would like to think I am a kind and caring person. Also, my older brother is part of a group for children and young people who deal with issues regarding children for the whole of England so I have learnt a lot from him and have gained experience about how to deal with problems like child poverty and unhappy children.

I would also like to put in place a special council made up completely by children and chosen by children. I think this is important because, as kids, we know what is best for us and what we really need. We should be able to make or at least have a say in the important decisions that concern us. Like my other point, this also supports the statement, ‘Children and young people express their views, feel heard and are actively involved in decisions that affect their lives’ and the fact that we will be allowed to participate and shape our lives according to decisions that we as children have made agrees with this wish. It also would mean the wish ‘Children and young people are treated fairly and respected’ is also fulfilled.

I hope I have the chance to become a candidate for Children’s Mayor for Leeds and I hope I am able to make a difference.

What’s on the menu in Brazil?

As part of the whole school Holidays topic, Year 5 and 6 have been ‘visiting’ Brazil. Following some research about popular foods in this South American country , we’ve recreated our own Brazilian dish. This was taken from a recipe book donated by the Brazilian restaurant Cabana. There is even a branch in Leeds if you’d like to try some more traditional Brazilian dishes. Our dish was a vegetarian version of moqueca (fish stew).

Take a look at our food preparation and tasting. Ask your child what skills they were using. Maybe you’ll get chance to try this at home as a few children were motivated to cook this for their family at home.

‘I love it and my favourite part is the courgette.’
‘I really like it, especially the coconut milk.’
‘I really like the sauce. This is new to me.’
‘It’s amazing – the best stew I’ve ever tasted.’

Happy and healthy… and busy!

A group of our Year 3 pupils were part of over one thousand children from across Leeds who took part in the Rugby World Cup big dance big sing event in Millenium Square.

A group of our Year 3 pupils were part of over one thousand children from across Leeds who took part in the Rugby World Cup Big dance Big sing event in Millenium Square.

Singing and dancing to the RWC theme tune ‘World in Union’, the event was to celebrate the upcoming RWC matches in Leeds this weekend.

‘I loved it and I tried my best.’
‘It was exciting when we did the dance.’
‘I enjoyed using the rugby balls for the dance and singing the song too.’

Earlier this week, our three lucky ticket winners to Saturday’s RWC match at Elland Road were announced.

Other upcoming events planned are the children’s Brownlee triathlon and another trip to the RWC fanzone in Millenium Square to take part in rugby activities and meet author Tom Palmer, who is writing a live story during the RWC.

Rugby world cup activities

As the Rugby World Cup approaches, Roundhegians are organising activities for both children and adults at their local facilities.

Leeds Children’s mayor

Could you be the next Leeds children’s mayor? Year 6 are invited to take part in this annual programme. Pupils write a short manifesto (400 words maximum) saying how they would improve Leeds if they were the Children’s Mayor. The manifesto must be based on one of the 12 Wishes for a more child friendly Leeds.

What would you do to make Leeds a better city for other children and young people?

If you’d like to take part then please complete your manifesto by 23.09.15 and the class will vote for the entry that will be submitted. Only one entrant can be submitted per school.

SEAL New beginnings

Welcome back to a new school year where we’ll be experiencing lots of new beginnings.

As we start the new school year, our SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) theme focuses on New Beginnings.

We have three new members of staff making a new beginning at Moortown, Mrs Wells, Mr McKeon and Mr Lawton, alongside new children joining our school and our new Reception class.

‘I make someone feel welcome‘ is the first SEAL statement to launch the theme.

New beginnings allows children the opportunity to discuss and reflect on how they or others may feel in a new situation or setting. This SEAL theme offers children the opportunity to see themselves as valued individuals within a community, and to contribute to shaping a welcoming, safe and fair learning community for all.

During the theme, the key areas of learning are empathy, self-awareness, social skills and motivation.

Through discrete SEAL lessons, circle times and across the curriculum, children will explore feelings of happiness and excitement, sadness, anxiety and fearfulness, while learning (and putting into practice) shared models for calming down and problem-solving.

New Beginnings supports the development of a learning community in each classroom where all members feel that they belong. Class contracts, produced at the start of the year, allow children to contribute to how they feel they can achieve a safe and fair learning community.

Healthy Schools award

‘I liked to do the voting. It made me feel important.’ A comment from one of our sports leaders following the recent Healthy School’s celebration event.

Following our School Health check earlier this year, to maintain our Healthy Schools status, we were proud to attend the Healthy Schools celebration event to receive our award. Held in the debating chamber at Leeds Civic Hall, we enjoyed presentations from councillors and other schools around the 4 areas of Healthy Schools – physical activity, PSHE (personal, social and health education), healthy eating and emotional health.

Two of our sports leaders were invited to lead a practical session in the break for other pupils who were attending. They did this with great confidence and encouragement.

As part of the event we also had the opportunity to use the voting system in the debating chamber to vote on key areas across health and wellbeing for councillors to consider on a city-wide strategic level. Based on data from the 2014 My Health My School survey, our current Year 5 and 6 classes will be completing this survey for 2015. The top priorities identified were levels of physical activity and eating 5 a day.

Summer sports and arts camp (Edward Lynch)

Edward Lynch, a local dance coach who has worked with children during our curriculum and extra-curricular dance sessions, is helping to run a local sport and arts camp called IMPACT in the summer holidays.

Healthy changes

As part of our SEAL theme of Changes, last week our SEAL statement focussed on making healthy changes. Some suggestions from Year 1 include:

have fruit dessert instead of cake
do more after-school clubs
ride a bike more
walk to the shops instead of driving
do parkruns with your family
go roller skating or skateboarding more
walk to school more
drink more water
run somewhere every day
eat more or different vegetables
ask to go swimming more

What healthy change could you make?

Change 4 life and Leeds Let’s Change can offer lots of suggestions.

Cycling events

Over the summer holiday there are two cycling events taking place locally.