Mental health is about our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It influences how we think, feel and act. Good mental health doesn't mean being happy all the time; it means having the ability to cope with life's stresses and maintain relationships effectively.

This week, your children had a really engaging assembly focusing on mental health and tools for emotional regulation. We strongly encourage you to talk to your child about what they learned. Asking them about their key takeaways is a fantastic way to open up an important conversation at home and support their growing understanding of their own feelings. You can use some of these sentences to start a conversation. 

"How did you feel when you woke up this morning? Has your mood changed throughout the day?" 

"What's one feeling that was really strong for you today, good or bad? Can you tell me what caused it?"

"Did the assembly talk about 'big' feelings and 'small' feelings? What's the difference?"

With the days getting darker earlier, we want to ensure every child is highly visible near roads.

Please look out for the reflective chain or stickers we sent home with your child this week. Encourage them to attach these items to their school bags or coats right away. Using these simple tools makes a big difference in helping drivers see them, especially during the darker morning and afternoon commutes.

This week, our Junior Leadership Team had an important and productive meeting with Chartwells, our school meal providers.

The JLT members acted as true representatives for the whole school, diligently reviewing the current lunch menu and putting forward several thoughtful suggestions and ideas. Chartwells greatly appreciated their input and we look forward to seeing how these excellent student voices influence future menu planning!

The JLT has also been busy acting as brilliant role models across the school. They have been active in classrooms, checking that our learning environments are tidy and well-organised. During break times, they have shown incredible responsibility by supporting other students on the playground and ensuring everyone is keeping each other safe.

A huge well done to all JLT members for demonstrating such fantastic leadership and commitment to our school community!

This week, Year 3 had an awesome start to the term. In English the sea creatures dumped rubbish in the room. They then, expected us to eat plastic cheese sandwhich. We learnt that our actions as humans has an effect on the pollution in the ocean, especially plastics. Afterwards, we made a Caesar salad to introduce us to the main food groups in science and healthy eating.

This week, Year 4 had a visit from Medway Rotary Club to launch their Rotary Club Shoe box Appeal. We learnt about the needs and conditions in certain areas and countries due to war, poverty, displacement and climate crisis and how we can help.  Linking to our global theme of Peace and Conflict, the children asked questions linking to their past and current learning and discussed how this project shows the values of kindness and collaboration. 

Year 5's core text for this term is 'Running Wild' by Michael Morphugo. The children have been completing learning tasks relating to the text including making a tsunami in a bottle and writing a diary entry as if they were escaping a tsunami. 

Year 6 have come back to school with a bang! They have shown great perseverance, determination and attitude to complete their first set of assessments. They have proved that when they put their minds to it, they are able to achieve anything they want! We are all so proud of how they have tackled their assessments this week! Keep it up Year 6!

DEC have started the term reestablishing rules and routines, reconnecting with friends and adults. We enjoyed sharing our experiences of Halloween and Fireworks nights. We have started our learning on the digestive system and are looking forward to our VR experience to learn more.