Living and Learning: Mental Health
Over the past 3 weeks we have been talking about our feelings and emotions in Living and Learning lessons. We met Maz, who had landed on this planet and wanted to learn all about different feelings. We were able to list lots of different feelings including: sad, upset, excited, shy, happy, worried. We acted out how our body’s would be if we were feeling these emotions to help Maz recognise his own emotions.
We also discussed how we would feel in different situations and that everyone can feel different emotions about the same thing. For instance, many of us would feel scared or worried in the dark whilst it made others feel calm and relaxed. I was very proud of the children for expressing their own individual opinion and being brave to say how it would truly make them feel.
In the final week we spoke about BIG feelings and how some big feelings are just lots of small feelings building up. We read the book Barbara throws a Wobbler and talked about what had happened to Barbara to make her so upset! Finally we spoke about how we could help ourselves if we felt some BIG feelings. We have an excellent breathing technique called finger breathing which helps us calm down. Ask your child about it.
Talking about feelings and knowing where and how to seek help for yourself or others is very important.
Help at home: We’ve talked about how people’s faces and body language can help us to understand how others are feeling. We acted out certain emotions in class. Try to have a go at home.
Final art sculptures!
After a few lessons of hard work, Year 3 have finished their sculptures and they look amazing! Here’s just some of them:
As you can see, they all look so different which is so lovely to see their imaginations coming to life. We set up a mini art gallery and walked around to observe each others sculptures. We did this silently as that’s what they’re usually like! After, we made positive comments about each other’s work using our art vocabulary. For example:
- I like this because they have used complementary colours.
- This one reminds me of the planets as it’s made out of big circles.
- I like this one because it’s so different and looks more figurative (the shape of a person) than abstract.
- They have used warm colours on one side and cool colours on the other.
A big well done to Year 3!
Our final pieces
Behold… our final sculptures!
Help at home by asking your child to explain how we created ‘patina’ on our artwork.
We think Barbara Hepworth would have been proud.
Carols in Moortown
Today, Y5 and Y6 ventured into Moortown to bring some festive cheer to our community!
We blasted out some Christmas classics such as Frosty the Snowman and fan-favourite Feliz Navidad!
Oracy skills certainly played their part – we projected our voices loud and clear (and our adults did too!).
Can you spot Rudolph anywhere?
Thank you to all who came to watch us and support. We hope you enjoyed it.
Have a lovely, happy and healthy break and we’re excited to welcome you back in the new year.
Miss Goswami, Miss Wilson and all the 5,6 staff
Sculpture Progress
This week, our sculptures have really been taking shape.
First, we created some negative space…
…before adding texture.
Next, we had to add colour using some effective mixing to keep it consistent across the group piece.
Here we are in action!
Lights Camel Action
We are getting excited to perform our Christmas production, Lights Camel Action, this week to three audiences.
Today is our dress rehearsal for the rest of the school followed by two performances to parents, carers and families on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The children have all worked so hard learning lines, songs and dances and we can’t wait to share it with you.
We hope you can join us.
Art: Sculptures
This week, Year 5 have started their art skills lessons where they have started to create their very own sculpture inspired by Barbara Hepworth’s ‘Family of Man’. Firstly, the children got into small groups to design their sculpture. The brief was to sketch something that related to them, whether that be a hobby, their family, a sport or a pet.
Once the maquette (a sculptor’s initial model or sketch) was finished, the children started to let their ideas come to life. They showed a lot of perseverance and determination when cutting into their boxes.
After their shapes were complete, they then took to covering their boxes in scrunched tissue paper to help create a patina texture.
Then, Year 5 painted their boxes white to create a consistent neutral base on to which they can apply the colour to next week.
Help at home: Discuss the inspiration of your child’s sculpture.
Living and Learning: I can recognise mental health is important.
For the past three weeks, we have been focussing on mental health in our Living and Learning lessons. This week, we discussed how to identify worry and actions that a person can take if they feel worried.
Year 5 identified how our bodies might feel if they are worried: a strange feeling in someone’s stomach, chest, head or throat; a faster heartbeat; dry mouth; sweaty palms; fidgeting; or difficulty concentrating.
We then focussed on different things that can be done to help relieve the worry:
- taking deep breaths
- talking to friends or family
- reading a book
- mindfulness activities
- playing a sport
- writing it down
Help at home: Discuss how Lauren in the following scenario can relieve her worry: ‘Lauren has got a test coming up at school. She is feeling nervous and finding it hard to concentrate.’
We are artists!
After many weeks of learning about Kandinsky and Napaltjarri, Year 4 have begun creating their sculptures inspired by them!
First, we cut out the shapes that we had chosen in our designs.
The next step was then to start decorating these shapes using oil pastels and chalk. Some children have chosen warm colours, complementary, cool colours or a mix!
This week will involve using Brusho dye to complete our colour choices and fixing the individual shapes together.
Watch this space for the grand reveal of our final pieces!
Living and learning: mental health
Over the last couple of weeks, Year 4 have been learning about mental health.
During our first session, we talked about feelings. Being able to identify and talk about feelings and emotions is an important part of our mental health. We spent time discussing different feelings and how to manage them. We also talked about how to spot how others are feeling by looking at their body language.
This week, we started to look at self-care. There are lots of different ways that we can practise self care. Some ideas are:
- talking to someone
- reading a book
- having some quiet time
- taking some deep breaths
- hugging our teddies
- doing some exercise
- writing our feelings down
Help at home by talking to your child about what self-care techniques they can do whenever they are feeling ‘big feelings’.
