As part of Children's Mental Health Week, we have been exploring some of the BBC MoodBooster videos in school. 

There are also 10 Moodbooster videos to use at home as a family that will help to encourage a sense of fun in your living room.

By taking part with everyone in your home, you can both promote a sense of wellbeing, and offer everyone in the family some basic skills to feel good.

We particularly liked Dr Ranj's Self-Belief Warriors! 

During our assembly on Monday, we launched Children's Mental Health Week by thinking about how we can come together to help one another. We talked about how having healthy connections – to family, friends and others - can support our mental health and our sense of wellbeing.  

We also shared the story of 'Room on the Broom' by Julia Donaldson as a way of helping us to think about how wonderful things can happen when we connect together to help each other. 

Today, we held a special assembly where we all came together to talk about the work we have been doing in school linked to Children's Mental Health Week. Each class also shared the very special garland of hands they had created together. We connected each garland to make the most beautiful display to show the many meaningful connections we all have to one another at FPIS :)

Finally, we used one of the BBC Moodbooster videos to help us connect together as a whole school!

More information about Children's Mental Health Week and resources for families can be found at: https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/families/

During our Safer Internet Assembly, we began by recognising all the exciting and amazing things we can do online. and the children shared some of the things that they love to do in school and at home on their devices. We also talked about how the internet isn’t perfect and sometimes people use it in ways that are unkind or unsafe. 

Safer Internet Day is a good chance to think about online issues, and what we can all do to make the internet a safer place.

As this years Safer Internet Day theme is 'Want to talk about it?' we shared the story of Hanni and the Magic Window - a rhyming story about speaking out and getting help. We also listened to 'The funny tummy song' taken from the Jessie and Friends: CEOP online safety education series for 4 - 7 year olds. Please see below for both of these resources.  

For more details about Safer Internet Day and further guidance, please visit: https://saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/safer-internet-day-2023

Additional information about Online Safety is also available via our school website: https://www.furzeplattinfantschool.co.uk/online-safety/

Below, you will also find a copy of the 4 Top Tips posters that we use and refer to in school as well as National Online Safety guides with tips for encouraging open discussions about digital lives and tips for supporting mental health through gaming.

Inspired by Mrs Indge's Safer Internet Day assembly, children throughout the school thought about what they would like to find behind the curtains of their own window. We spoke about the story Hanni and the Magic Window and then created our own windows. It helped us think about our Four Top Tips and how we can keep ourselves safe online.

On Friday 3rd February, we were proud to be part of NSPCC Number Day. There were numbers (and number blocks!) everywhere as we all Dressed-Up for Digits to show our support. Everyone had lots of fun with numbers and lots of maths activities and games too!

Before the day itself, we had a special assembly to find out about some of the ways in which the NSPCC supports children and families, so that every child can have a safe and happy childhood. We also talked about Childline, the service provided by the NSPCC which will listen to children and young people, whatever their worry, whenever they need help. We practiced actions to help us remember the phone number for Childline: 0800 11 11

Thank you to everyone who donated via our JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/furze-platt-infant-school-number-day-2023

Our school raised a fantastic £412.00 - thank you :)

Our Early Years children were excited to share their maths learning with parents and grandparents on Number day last week. The children had spent the day taking part in maths activities including Numicon printing, dice games, creating Numberblock numbers and number posters. In the afternoon they enjoyed creating 5 little aliens, ducks, frogs or monkey puppets with their parents and carers that they able to take home to play some number games with. We hope that you found the presentation helpful. Please attend our parent and child Mastering Number workshop next term for more ways to support your child with maths at home.

We were very lucky to have a visit from some Community Support Officers who spoke to the children all about the jobs Police do. They showed us some of their different uniforms and talked about how important it is to wear a helmet when out cycling or scooting. We were even more delighted to see the police van and were even allowed to go inside to look around, see the lights and hear the sirens!

We searched the Woodland area to find the best spots for us to hang up our bird feeders. We then enjoyed looking for the birds as they discovered our treats for them! We will continue to monitor the different species of birds in our school environment and we hope that over half term you will also enjoy getting involved in birdwatch. Eco Club are looking forward to heading outside after half-term. 

https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/

The Long-tailed Tit is easily recognisable with its distinctive colouring and long tail. Gregarious and noisy residents, Long-tailed Tits are most usually noticed in small, excitable flocks of about 20 birds. They eat insects - and sometimes seeds in autumn and winter.

Did you know? True to its name, this bird has a tail that is longer than its body! 

Congratulations to everyone in Monoceros house team. Together they have received the most house points during this half term - a very impressive 502 in total! Well done!

• Coin & note collection - 21st & 22nd February

On Tuesday 21st and Wednesday 22nd of February, the FPSA will be collecting coins and bank notes (both sterling and foreign currency) which may be clogging up your drawers. You can give us ANY currency including current or out of date UK currency and current or out of date foreign currency. We will be outside the Infants gates between 08.35 and 09.05 so please dig deep and get rid of that holiday and old change.

• FPSA AGM - 29th March

Congratulations - between us in 2022 alone, we raised a huge £29K through the FPSA to support our children in our schools. Thank you!

Do you want to know how the money has been spent, what the future plans are and to have your say suggesting other ways to spend it? If you have around an hour to spare on Wednesday 29th March from 7.45pm, come the FPSA AGM in the Infants school hall to find out more.

We want to celebrate our success together, so for those who come in person there will be a glass of wine and an opportunity to chat with current FPSA members and both heads of schools who will explain their plans for the money raised and how funds were spent in 2022 for the benefit of our children. We recognise that not everyone can make it in person though, so you're also welcome to join us virtually by Zoom (details to follow...but you'll have to find your own wine).

If you are interested in joining the FPSA, now is a great time as we are looking for new team members in particular a secretary - but don't worry, there is no pressure to join if you come to the meeting to simply find out more. If you can't make it and are interested in getting involved, please do reach out, we'd love to talk to you (fpsa.ebox@gmail.com)