The children have had such a fun day raising money for Children in Need. Every class has done something a little different, which has made it extra special, and every class has enjoyed the outdoors activity, kindly set up by Mrs Reihill and Mr Cotton.
Thank you, parents, for supporting such a fantastic cause, and for helping the children enjoy the day.
This week has been anti-bullying week, with the theme of One Kind Word, so all of my recommendations link to kindness and bullying. This are books that will help us empathise with others and understand how we can help.
Kindness Grows by Britta Teckentrup is a wonderful peep through poem that reminds us of the power of kindness.
It all starts with a crack that we can hardly see,
It happens when we shout or if we disagree.
But with every kindness that we care to show,
Something good and magical then begins to grow…
Angry words cause a crack to open up, but find out what happens when kindness begins to blossom in this thought-provoking book celebrating friendship, forgiveness, hope and respect.
Paper Boat For Panda by Celestine and the Hare is a heartwarming tale of friendship and kindness, and the joy that they bring to the Tribe. The gently told story shows that the reward for kindness is seeing the pleasure it brings to others.
Panda loves his toy boat, and sailing it across the kitchen rug. What he really wants though, is to sail across the wide, beautiful sea, but he knows it’s just a dream. But, Baby Weasus has an idea, and enlists Small to help. Can friends really make dreams come true?
The stunning needle felted characters, lovingly crafted and photographed by Karin add an extra layer of warmth to this beautiful little book, perfectly sized for little hands.
I love that the story is followed by easy to follow instructions on how to make your own paper boat to sail across your wide, beautiful sea, encouraging imaginative play to extend your enjoyment of this charming book.
For slightly older children, Fly On The Wall by Remy Lai is a thought-provoking look through the eyes of an online bully that helps us to understand his motives and see how his actions affect those around him.
Henry Khoo’s family treats him like a baby. He’s not allowed to go anywhere without his sister/chaperone/bodyguard. And he definitely can’t take a journey halfway around the world all by himself!
But that’s exactly his plan. After his family’s annual trip to visit his father in Singapore is cancelled, Henry decides he doesn’t want to be cooped up at home with his overprotective family and BFF turned NRFF (Not Really Friend Forever). Plus, he’s hiding a your-life-is-over-if-you’re-caught secret: he’s the creator of an anonymous gossip cartoon, and he’s on the verge of getting caught. Determined to prove his independence and avoid punishment for his crimes, Henry embarks on the greatest adventure ever, hoping it won’t turn into the greatest disaster ever.
Laugh out loud funny, this is a wonderful book with a quirky main character that is bound to appeal to fans of Diary Of A Wimpy Kid and Tom Gates.
All The Things That Could Go Wrong by Stewart Foster reminds us that there are always two sides to every story in this emotive, tense tale of two boys struggling to get along.
What I love most about this story is that we get to explore the thoughts and feelings of both the bully and the victim. While we begin to understand Dan’s motives, his behaviour is explained yet never excused, but it does becomes easy to see how life events can change a person’s behaviour. A fantastic read for empathy that will make readers stop and think.
Dan is angry. Nothing has been the same since his big brother left, and he’s taking it out on the
nearest and weakest target: Alex. Alex is struggling. His severe OCD makes it hard for him to leave the house, especially when Dan and his gang are waiting for him at school . . .
Then the boys’ mums arrange for them to meet up and finish building the raft that Dan started with his brother. Two enemies stuck together for the whole of the school holidays – what could possibly go wrong?
Cloud Busting by Malorie Blackman is both a heart breaking and heart warming story told completely in verse as the relationship between two boys alters and changes into something that will affect both of their lives forever.
From haikus to free verse and limericks to calligrams, Malorie Blackman chooses the perfect poetry style to convey the emotion of her characters as we move through the story while Helen van Vliet’s illustrations echo the rawness of the words.
Davey is the new boy in class and Sam can’t stand him. He thinks Davey is plain weird. But when the two are thrown together Sam discovers that Davey’s eccentric way of looking at the world makes life a lot more fun. Until the day something terrible happens…
Happy reading, and remember, one kind word could change somebody’s day!
Year 5 was full of groans, sighs, and triumphant cheers as they put all of their knowledge of forces to the test to create rollercoasters in Science. They had tracks with loop the loops, curved sides and hills. It was wonderful to see their teamwork, discipline, resilience and enjoyment as they problem-solved issues along the way to ensure they got just the right amount of momentum from gravity, before friction and air resistance stopped their marble from completing their track.
Huge thanks to Mr and Mrs Barrow for donating the insulation pipes which made this lesson possible.
Year 5 and 6 enjoyed a virtual visit with best selling author of Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, Jeff Kinney this morning. He showed us how he plans his stories, sharing extracts from his own diaries, and led us in a draw-a-long of Greg.
Here are some of the children’s thoughts on the virtual visit:
We’ve had such a busy, exciting week in Reception exploring the signs of Autumn. The children have made Autumn crowns and jewellery using the different colour leaves they found on their Autumn walk around the school grounds. They also learnt about hedgehogs and why they hibernate. We made clay and potato hedgehogs and then created a cozy home for them.
Cannon Park Primary School has a new virtual tour. This can be found under our ‘Parents’ tab on our school website.
Remembrance Sunday, which falls on 14 November in 2021, is a national opportunity to remember the service and sacrifice of all those that have defended our freedoms and protected our way of life. We remember the Armed Forces, and their families, from Britain and the Commonwealth, the vital role played by the emergency services and those that have lost their lives as a result of conflict or terrorism.
This week’s books all focus on stories about the people who gave their lives during World War I.
Where The Poppies Now Grow by Hilary Robinson and Martin Impey is a thought-provoking, sensitive poem to introduce younger readers to World War 1, and a touching tribute to honour all those who sacrificed so much for the cause of peace. Set in a bygone age, the carefree childhood of Ben and his best friend Ray becomes a distant memory when they join the army to serve their country. But, in the midst of battle can their friendship survive?
Owen And The Soldier by Lisa Thompson is a tender and touching story about loss, the importance of remembrance and standing up for your beliefs. A crumbling stone soldier sits on a bench in the park. Only Owen understands how important he is. At home, Owen and his mum are struggling and there’s nobody he can talk to. Hidden away in the park, Owen feels free to be himself. When the war-weary soldier is listening, his worries slip away. But nobody else cares about the soldier, and the town council want to tear him down. Owen’s the only one who can save him but can he find the courage to speak up before it’s too late?
Armistice Runner by Tom Palmer is a heart-wrenching story of family history, resilience and bravery, beautifully told against the stunning back drop of the fells in the Lake District, and the shocking realities of life in the trenches.
Watching Lily come to understand who her great-great-grandfather was and what he did during the war is as heart-breaking as it is uplifting, especially seeing her take inspiration from him to keep on trying at her sport. With a strong message about kindness and supporting each other, this is a brilliant read for empathy that if read with older generations may prompt families to share their own stories, preserving them for future generations.
And now for something completely different…
The last two weeks has seen the 26th United Nations Conference of the Parties take place in Glasgow where leaders from over 200 countries have come together to try to tackle climate change and any decisions taken could lead to big changes to our everyday lives in order to hit to hit climate targets, like people driving electric cars, moving away from gas heating, eating less red meat and not taking as many flights in the future.
So this seems to be the perfect time to share It’s Up To Us: A Children’s Terra Carta for Nature, People & The Planet by Christopher Lloyd, with a foreword by His Royal Highness The Prince Of Wales. We are shown how, over time, people have harmed the delicate balance of nature on Earth; polluting the air, land and sea, damaging habitats, and putting ours needs above every other creature living here.
I loved exploring the differing illustration styles adorning each spread from the 33 illustrators picked from across the globe, and spotting the cultural references and details within them. Vibrant and engaging, they underpin the messages that sit alongside them. The addition of the foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales, and the original preface to the Terra Carta show just how important the messages with It’s Up To Us really are.
From the clear explanation of the harm we have done to the easy to understand pledges that everyone needs to sign up to in order to stop and try to reverse some of the damage we have done, this is a must for every school to continue the work on climate change and environmental damage they are already undertaking to grow an ecologically educated generation that are understand why implementing the Terra Carta is essential to saving all life on Earth, including our own.
The Terra Carta is a roadmap to sustainability issued by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and his Sustainable Markets Initiative. More than 400 corporations have already signed on, agreeing to put the health of Nature, People & Planet at the heart of their activities. Now it’s up to all of us to make sure our leaders keep their promises.
This morning, Year 3 marked the importance of Remembrance Day by making their own poppies and holding them whilst observing a two minute silence. We spoke about the sacrifices of all the people who fought in the war and how we should never forget their bravery. They also had the privilege of holding a World War One victory medal which was kindly donated to us for the day.
On Wednesday afternoon, Year 2 learnt about Remembrance Day. The children thought about the importance as well as the significance of the poppy. They spoke about the how the poppy was the only flower to grow on the battlefields after World War One before making their own poppies.
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