communication

save the date

 Friday 12th June – Year 6 Enterprise Day – during the school day   Friday 17th July – Year 3 & 4 Sports Day – 9.30am – 11am   Friday 17th July – Year 5 & 6 Sports Day – 1.45pm – 3pm   Tuesday 21st July – Year 6 leavers disco – time tbc   Wednesday 22nd July – Year 6 leavers assembly – time tbc   Wednesday 22nd July – Academy closes at 1.30pm for the summer holiday, no after school provision on this date

in the spotlight

Anti-bullying

As part of our ongoing work together to support every child, we continue to maintain a strong and consistent focus on positive relationships and managing emotions. This includes helping children to understand and talk about big feelings, as well as supporting them in navigating challenging situations with confidence. By developing these skills, we are enabling children to prevent difficulties where possible and respond positively when situations do arise.   This important foundation links directly to our continued focus on anti-bullying across the school. Our work is supported by the high-quality workshop materials and online resources from OpenView Education, generously funded by our PTA last November. We would like to extend a sincere thank you once again to the PTA – these resources are proving invaluable in giving children the language, confidence and understanding they need.   At Darlinghurst, we firmly believe that anti-bullying is not just for one week of the year. It is embedded in our everyday conversations, curriculum and ethos. Our shared goal is to create a safe, happy environment where every child feels a strong sense of belonging.   Ahead of half term, our Key Stage 2 assembly explored the theme “What would you do?”, using a range of scenarios, including those involving cyberbullying and message groups. Pupils were encouraged to think carefully about each situation by discussing: Is this bullying? Why? What would you do if this happened to you? What would you do if you saw this happening?

These discussions helped children to understand both the experiences of others and the important role they play as bystanders. A key message was the importance of speaking up and speaking out, and using their voices positively – truly using their power for good.   This has been reinforced through our shared focus on:

More recently, pupils have built on this learning through focused sessions. This week during assembly we revisited the importance to challenge stereotypes. Together, we explored how stereotypes are unfair assumptions about people, why it is important to treat everyone as an individual, and how these assumptions can sometimes lead to unkindness or bullying.   Children have been introduced to a simple 3 step approach: Spot it    – Question it – Challenge it (calmly and respectfully)  

 

Through thoughtful discussions, pupils are developing empathy and confidence, considering questions such as:   Was that a fair assumption or just a guess? How might someone feel? What could we say or do to challenge this kindly? We are also encouraging children to apply this thinking in the online world, pausing to reflect: Is it fair? Is it true for everyone? Is it kind?   KS1 have enjoyed ‘visiting friendship island’ and learning about the different ‘emotions’ – Confidence Castle, Happy Hills and more.

They have enjoyed singing songs about friendships, taking turns and working out problems. They also learned the Friendship Rhyme and joined in with actions to help them.

 

We also reminded ourselves of our rainbow word – Kindness and shared positive notes live in assembly. The rainbow bucket was full of positive notes about staff and children.

We know that this work is most powerful when school and home, work closely in partnership. We encourage you to continue these conversations at home, helping your child to talk about their feelings, friendships and experiences. If your child is in Reception, Year 1 or 2 Why not read the poem with your child and see if they can remember the actions?   Thank you, as always, for your continued support and for working alongside us to ensure every child feels safe, valued and heard.

year 6 enterprise daY

Year 6 Enterprise Day will take place on Friday, 12 June, during the school day. Enterprise Day gives pupils the opportunity to develop important life skills such as teamwork, communication, creativity, problem-solving and money management. Throughout the morning, children will work together on a range of business-related challenges, including designing products, planning marketing ideas and making decisions as part of a team. The day is designed to be fun, engaging and educational, helping pupils to build confidence while learning about enterprise and entrepreneurship. Children will be given the opportunity to purchase items and take part in events put on by Year 6. Please send your child to school with change (no notes please) in a named envelope on the day. We are looking forward to an enjoyable and productive day for all Year 6 pupils.

year 5 - secondary school open evenings

We would like to remind parents and carers that many local secondary schools will be holding Open Evenings over the coming months. These events provide an excellent opportunity for Year 6 pupils and their families to visit schools, meet staff and students, tour the facilities, and learn more about each school's curriculum, values and opportunities. We encourage families to check the websites of the secondary schools they are interested in for details of open evening dates, times and booking arrangements, as some schools may require advance registration. Attending open evenings can help you and your child make an informed decision when considering secondary school applications.

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