Living and Learning: STOP bullying
This week, all classes have been learning about different aspects of bullying during national Anti-Bullying Week.
Thank you to those families who supported our Odd Socks Day on Tuesday, celebrating that we are all unique.
Classes have been considering the following during this week.
- Our school definition of bullying.
‘Bullying is when you hurt someone, physically or emotionally, several times on purpose.’
- Types of bullying – cyber-bullying and prejudice-based bullying related to gender, sexual orientation, race, religion and belief, special educational need and disability
- What to do if children experience or witness bullying. The key message is to tell someone (start telling other people)
STOP can stand for two key messages: the definition (Several Times On Purpose) and the solution (Start Telling Other People).
Our new child friendly anti-bullying policy has been launched this week and this was shared, by the four Year 6 authors, in assembly.
All classes have access to their class Living and Learning box or the whole school worry box where they can tell an adult any concerns about bullying or any other issues.
Please discuss this important learning at home (our whole school homework this week).
For further support, here are some resources and advice that can be found at…
- https://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/tools-information/advice-parents
- https://www.kidscape.org.uk/resources/
- http://www.bullying.co.uk/advice-for-parents/
- https://www.internetmatters.org/hub/news-blogs/get-involved-in-anti-bullying-week-2019-change-starts-with-us/
- https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect/bullying-and-cyberbullying/keeping-children-safe/
- https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/types-bullying/
- https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/feelings-and-symptoms/bullying/
- https://esafetyoffice.co.uk/resources/
It’s Anti-Bullying Week
This week, it’s anti-bullying week and the theme for this year is ‘Change starts with us’.
Don’t forget – we are also taking part in Odd Socks Day on Tuesday 12th November.
Recently, some of our Year 6 pupils have created a child friendly anti-bullying policy which will be shared with the rest of the school during this week.
Child friendly anti-bullying policy
Written by: Evie, Zidaan, Omar and Eve (Year 6)
What is bullying?
In our school, this is what bullying means:
Bullying is where you hurt someone, physically or emotionally, several times on purpose.
What might bullying look like?
If any of these things happen several (lots of) times, it is bullying.
- Hurting peoples’ feelings, for example, name calling, teasing, threatening, ignoring or spreading rumours
- Hurting peoples’ bodies, for example, hitting, punching or kicking
This could be in person or online (cyber bullying) and could be because of someone’s race, disability, gender or appearance.
What could you do if you are being bullied?
Start
Telling
Other
People
Who could you tell?
- Mrs Weekes/Mrs Freeman/Mrs Russell/Mrs Small (they are child protection staff)
- Mrs Taylor (Health Leader)
- Any other members of staff
- Friends
- Someone in your family
- Childline (0800 1111)
- Write a worry slip and put it in your Living and Learning box or the whole school worry box
- Email stayingsafe@spherefederation.org
Our views on bullying
STOP bullying – bullying is wrong!
We’re a happy and healthy school.
Skylar’s Missing Note
What an exciting first day back Year 1 have had!
This morning, we welcomed Sam and Jen and we were engrossed by the performance of Skylar’s missing note. This musical story was all about Skylar’s prized piano and how one of the notes (middle C) became lost as the piano was transported to their new house. The note did appear in the mouth of a pigeon but unfortunately, despite Skylar’s best efforts, the note could not be reunited with the piano. Nevertheless, Skylar continued to enjoy her piano and she found other ways to use her piano to create music.
Following the performance, Sam led a workshop where we continued the story but this time based on the pigeon. Along the way, we learnt many musical terms.
- Dynamics – loud or quiet
- Pitch – high or low
- Tempo – fast or slow
- Rhythm – the pattern of the music
Anti-bullying week – Odd Socks Day
Next week is Anti-bullying Week. This year’s theme is ‘Change starts with us’ and we will be taking part in Odd Socks Day on Tuesday 12 November.
This day is to raise awareness of our differences, individuality and personal choice. There is no need for any payment – your child should simply wear odd socks and join in the fun!
Thank you for your support.
Where is Skylar’s missing note?
‘A young girl journeys in search of her piano’s missing middle ‘C’ lost in transit during a house move.’
We look forward to taking part in this theatre show at school tomorrow for Years 1 and 2.
Featuring a specially constructed piano, it encourages children to play, understand and respond to music, enhancing both language and listening skills through a playful and magical story.
Living and Learning: Identity
Our Living and Learning theme this half-term is Identity. Pupils will learn about what makes themselves and others special, valuing the similarities and differences between themselves and others and what is meant by community. This will be taught through our Living and Learning sessions and two focused weeks.
Anti-bullying week (11 November) ‘Change starts with us’
My Community themed week (25 November)
Our new school charity will be chosen as part of the My Community themed week. Every year, we nominate a new charity to support. This year, we have been supporting WWF. We decide this on the basis of a Talk Time homework, and then school councillors make the final decision.
Our Living and Learning long term plan details the learning for each year group across the year and you can keep up to date with our weekly Living and Learning statements on the parent noticeboard in the playground and also on the school calendar. We will begin and end this half term with a focus on manners.
I apologise when I need to.
I say please and thank you.
Living and Learning: I Am Resourceful
During our living and learning sessions about the 8R’s of learning, the children were taught many new skills which will help them in their independent learning. Here, the children were thinking about the important skill of being resourceful. The children were given some tricky maths problems and were asked to complete them choosing their own resources to help them solve the problems. Hopefully, the children will continue to select resources from around the classroom which will aid their learning in lots of other lessons.
School Council elections
We have recently launched this year’s School Council election process. Our School Council is one of the ways that children are encouraged to take an active part in pupil voice.
The election process allows children to develop an understanding of one of the British Values, democracy, with two representatives from each class, chosen democratically by their peers.
Here are some of the qualities our school councillors think are needed to be an effective school councillor.
- use the 8Rs for learning
- be respectful and polite
- help others
- be a good speaker and listener (to members of your class and in the meetings)
- share and be confident with your ideas
- let others speak
- accept the views of others even if you don’t agree
- be friendly and approachable
- follow our school rules and make good choices in class and around school
Our current whole school homework is all about the election and democracy, ready for the elections next Thursday 24 October.
Bonfire night themed menu
Catering Leeds, our school meal provider, will be running a special themed menu on Tuesday 5th November. Please contact the office, as soon as possible, if your child would like a school meal on this day (no action needed if your child normally has a school meal on this day).
We are constructing.
Last week, Years 1 and 2 joined forces to begin their work on constructing boats. The children chose from a range of materials and were able to use these appropriately.
The children were supportive to one another offering help if needed.
My boat is not very secure. I’m going to add more tape.
How can I make the mast more stable?
I wonder if this material is waterproof?
The finished products were amazing!
