Dear Parents
A Busy Week!
We have certainly had a jam-packed week at school!
Alongside Mental Health and Wellbeing Week, we also marked Safer Internet Day. It has been wonderful to see the children taking part in Mindful Moments and thinking carefully about how they can build these into their daily routines. The children were introduced to the first steps of learning about Artificial Intelligence and the opportunities and challenges linked to this exciting area.
Mr Lagdon has shared what the children did on Safer Internet Day:
On Safer Internet Day, KS1 and KS2 both participated in online workshops where they explored the theme of AI. KS1 focused on 'How Computers Learn' where they discovered how machines make decisions, created simple data for a computer to solve a problem and thought about why computers sometimes make mistakes.
KS2 looked at 'Exploring Everyday AI' where they considered where they might already be using AI in their daily routines and the potential benefits and consequences of using digital assistants. All children took on board a number of important messages that they were encouraged to apply to their everyday lives.
Reception made some pancakes yesterday in preparation for Shrove Tuesday next week when they will be able to help you with the ingredients and mixing. Mrs Iaciofano was chief chef for the day and the school smelt delicious!
Nursery were learning about Chinese New Year and created colourful lanterns. As they walked to lunch, they proudly shared the story they had learnt and were able to recall lots of important details.
Year 1 curated their very own ‘Year 1 History Museum,’ carefully arranging artefacts and writing information labels to explain what each item was and why it was important. A fantastic way to bring history to life!
Wednesday was a special day when I joined a group of children who attended ‘New Leaf’ learning at the Courteenhall Estate with Miss Ottaway, Mrs Odedra and Alex Preston who created the programme. As we passed through the gates time seemed to slow down. The children calmed, found their voices and shared their thoughts and feelings. They rolled down a muddy hill with one child lying on his back like a starfish, closing his eyes for a mindful moment with the sun warm on his face. They built and cared for a fire, whittled sticks to put an apple on then dipped it in melted chocolate. They lay on the jetty and swept their nets through the weed finding newts and pond life. Their confidence grew before our eyes as they followed their own curiosity and interests. I hope all of our children experience many special moments next week where nothing is a hurry or a worry 😊
On Thursday, Year 3 were thrilled to welcome Dan from Portals of the Past. Dressed in their Roman togas, they explored fascinating artefacts and were inspired to deepen their love of history.
Our School Council visited the Peace Garden in Abington Park, where they planted bulbs and weeded the area for everyone to enjoy. We look forward to seeing their hard work bloom.
Year 6 set off to Holdenby House in their authentic World War 2 outfits and had a wonderful day seeing what it was like to be an evacuee. They went into a bunker to experience what it was like in the blitz and cooked using basic ingredients from that time.
Also on Thursday, Year 5 wrote creative poems inspired by Kate Wakeling, a published poet. They personified different moods and shared their work with residents from St Christopher’s Care Home who visited for the afternoon. It was another truly joyful session.
This morning, children in the Inspire building learnt about the importance of water safety from Aqualight, helping them understand how to keep themselves safe.
It has been a week full of learning, creativity and connection. Thank you for your continued support, and for sharing in the wonderful experiences your children enjoy each day.
Have a lovely Half Term
Alison Harvey