Healthy Schools award
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.
10 minute shake up
Recently children have brought home information from Change 4 life on their latest campaign, 10 minute shake up. Similar to our daily Wake Up Shake Up activity, here is a 10 minute shake up video for you to follow at home.
Code Club
It was the last Code Club of the year on Tuesday. This term, we’ve had the highest participation in two years and also the highest number of female coders.
As well as using Scratch this term, we’ve started building our own webpages using Trinket.
A massive thank you must go to Linda Broughton who gives up her time every Tuesday to run Code Club. Thanks also to Mr Baynes and Mrs Freeman who have helped out this year.
Free tennis lessons
Free tennis lessons (for children and adults) are available locally at David Lloyd and Roundhay Park over the next few months.
This week we begin our new SEAL theme, Changes
Following our focus on manners last week, we now begin the SEAL theme of Changes. This theme aims to equip children with an understanding of different types of change, positive and negative, and common responses to change. It aims to develop knowledge, understanding and skills in three key social and emotional aspects of living and learning: motivation, managing feelings and social skills.
The key ideas and concepts behind this theme are:
- Change can be uncomfortable, because it can threaten our basic needs to feel safe and to belong
- Change can also be stimulating and welcome
- Both adults and children can experience a range of powerful and conflicting emotions as a result of change – for example, excitement, anxiety, uncertainty, loss, anger, resentment
- Worries about change can be made worse by uncertainty, lack of information, or misinformation and lack of support from others
- People’s responses to and ability to cope with change are very variable, and might be influenced by individual temperament, previous experience of change, and the nature of the change – chosen or imposed, expected or unexpected, within our control or out of our control
- Some children may welcome most forms of change and dislike routine and predictability. Other children may find even small changes very difficult.
Within school, children, who are coping with or have undergone significant change, are supported in a variety of ways:
- Our positive ethos within school
- Support systems, from staff and peers, for children who have undergone change or who maybe new to the school
- SEAL and circle time sessions where children feel safe to talk about their feelings
- Class SEAL boxes for children to record any concerns
- Preparing children wherever possible for planned changes for example, a change of class teacher, Key Stage or even school
Return of Leeds Sky Ride
Join the cycling revolution in Leeds as Sky Ride returns for its third year bringing thousands of cyclists and spectators to a traffic free city centre.
The free family friendly mass-participation bike ride takes place on Sunday 14 June 10am – 3pm. Registration is now open at and people are being encouraged to sign up fast as places are filling up.
Previous years have proved to be very successful attracting more than 8,500 people of all ages and abilities, with many more lining the streets to cheer along friends, relatives and loved ones.
For those not jumping on a bike there is plenty to get involved with thanks to the return of the “Tricks and Tunes” area featuring top DJs as well as pro BMX and mountain bikers performing jaw-dropping stunts not for the faint-hearted.
Riders can look forward to starting from the same point, on The Headrow, as cycling legends during last summer’s “Grandest of Grand Départs”. They will also pass iconic city landmarks from Leeds University to the town hall and First Direct Arena.
Riders can challenge family and friends in the Sprint Zone, experience the sensory tunnel and find out more about cycling opportunities in Leeds. Bike experts at Halfords are offering a free bike safety check to everyone who registers and will be on hand to help out with any last minute problems. Join the cycling revolution in Leeds as Sky Ride returns for its third year bringing thousands of cyclists and spectators to a traffic free city centre.
The event is one of 15 to be held nationally and is part of a continuing partnership between Leeds City Council, British Cycling, Sky and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority which aims to encourage more people to get cycling.
SEAL Changes and manners
As we enter our final half term, the next SEAL theme looks at Changes, starting from next week.
This week, we begin with a focus on manners and I cover my mouth (when I cough, sneeze or yawn) is our weekly statement.
The ‘Vampire method’ can help to prevent germs spreading. By coughing or sneezing into our elbow, germs are not spread into the air or on our hands which may contaminate other things.
Here is how it’s done.
Don’t forget to ‘use your sleeve to cough and sneeze’.