Children's Mental Health Week

Dear Families 

How have we reached the end of Spring 1 already! The school year is truly whizzing past, and yet each week continues to be filled with moments that make us proud of our wonderful school community. From classroom learning to assemblies and celebrations, it has been a week where our children have shown what it means to work hard, be kind, and believe in themselves and others. 

This week has been Children’s Mental Health Week, and we’ve loved seeing the children take part in thoughtful conversations, activities and daily routines that support wellbeing. We take children’s mental health seriously. In school we have Children’s Mental Health First Aiders (Emma, Krista and Mrs Roberts), and we weave wellbeing opportunities through the whole school day and curriculum - from check-ins and mindful moments to active play and outdoor learning. 

A particular strength at our school is our bespoke PSHE curriculum. Across the year, children build a mental fitness toolkit, practising skills such as resilience, self-regulation, problem-solving, empathy and help seeking. We want every child to understand their feelings, know what supports them, and feel confident to ask for help. 

How to Get Support 

If you are worried about your child’s wellbeing, please speak to their class teacher, our pastoral team, or one of our Children’s Mental Health First Aiders. We’re here to listen and help signpost support. 

At the bottom of my newsletter (and featured last week) you will find some family-friendly ideas you can do and some books you could read/share to help look after and care for your mental health and wellbeing. 

Assembly

This week's assembly launched Children's Mental Health week. We joined a virtual assembly with 40,000 pupils across the country to hear about this year's theme "This is your place to be." The children learnt all about belonging and why this is important for our mental health. They discussed the places where they felt they belonged with many children stating: "home, school, football or a friends house." They also discussed the importance of helping others to feel like they belong. This will be followed up in class, children will create visual representations of their "place to be."

Special Visitor to Year 1

This week, Year 1 enjoyed a special visit from Jo Elijah, who came to talk to the children about the Jewish celebration of Shabbat (also pronounced “Shabbatta”) as part of their RE curriculum. Shabbat is the weekly day of rest in Judaism, beginning at sunset on Friday and ending at sunset on Saturday. Jewish families mark this time by lighting candles, sharing a special meal and spending peaceful time together away from work. 

She showed them the special candles, tablecloth and kiddish cup which are part of the Shabbat meal. 

She also brought in spices to smell and Challah bread to taste. She showed the children how the food is blessed in Hebrew underneath a special prayer cloth before eating. To mark the end of Shabbat, she demonstrated how the large blue and white Havdalah candle is dipped in wine to put it out before starting a new week.

The children had a wonderful time learning about the Jewish faith, its traditions and its worldview. They asked thoughtful questions, explored new ideas and were fascinated by the meaning behind this important celebration. It was a joyful and enriching experience for everyone. 

Year 3 and Purple Class Assembly

What a joy this assembly was! Year 3 and Purple Class performed with such excitement and confidence, showcasing their learning with pride. It was a truly heart-warming moment and even brought a few tears to our eyes. I have loved listening to their singing rehearsals over the past few weeks. Giving children the opportunity to perform together helps them believe in themselves and celebrate their achievements as a team – well done everyone! 

Safer Internet Day - 10th February 

Tuesday was Safer Internet Day, an important reminder about how crucial it is for children to stay safe online. Every class took part in learning activities around digital safety, responsible choices and speaking up if something doesn’t feel right. 

We kindly remind families of the importance of parental supervision when children are using devices at home. Working together ensures our children grow into confident, informed and safe digital citizens. 

Celebration Assemblies 

Today, we ended the week with our celebration assemblies. These moments are always a highlight, seeing the children beam with pride as their hard work, kindness, perseverance, and achievements are recognised. They truly embody what it means to Work hard, Be kind, Believe. 

Looking Ahead 

As we wrap up this busy half term, we want to thank our families for their continued support, partnership, and positivity. It is a privilege to watch your children grow, learn, and thrive each day. 

We wish you all a lovely half term break, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday 23rd February, when the school gates open once more for Spring 2 and… 

If you celebrate Valentine’s Day, I hope it brings some extra kindness, love and joy to your week. 

"In a world where you can be anything, be kind." 

May we all carry a little extra kindness into the week ahead toward ourselves, our families, and each other. 

Ms Pennington