Character Education in Action

Creation Crusaders

Year 6 were Creation Crusaders this term as they supported the changes in the playground. OPAL continues to make positive impacts on play!

EVERYDAY HERO JUSTICE JET-SETTER AWARDS

This term's Christian Foundation focus has been Justice. Teachers have been looking out for children who promote Justice in our school and who uphold the school rule of 'Be Fair And Do What Is Right'. Mr McCarthy and Mrs Wish had a very tricky job deciding between the nominations! Below are our nominations from each class along with our Gold, Silver and Bronze winners - well done to all these children! What fantastic examples of children who are flourishing 'as a person' as well as 'as a learner'. 

EVERYDAY HERO PEACE PROTECTOR AWARDS:

This term, our Christian Foundation focus was Peace. Our teachers have been diligently looking out for children who displayed 'Peace Protector' characteristics - children who are a calming influence, children who help others to find their peace, and children who can instill peace and calmness in their environment.

Here are our nominees and our Gold and Bronze award winners! Unfortunately, our Silver award winner wasn't here today to receive their award.

Our Christian Ambassadors have been working very hard today, putting together all the hygiene donations that you have given!

Many thanks to all who donated; these offerings will be taken to the church, who will hand them on so that they can be distributed to those who need it. It's such a wonderful thing to do as a school community. Great Social Action - and spreading Peace at a time when many are struggling.

EVERYDAY HEROES

Our 'Love Leader' winners!!

I would like to introduce to you our fabulous winners of our Peace Foundation Awards for this term! As you know, our Christian Foundation this term has been Peace, and these three children won the top three awards of Gold, Silver and Bronze for demonstrating that Christian Foundation to their peers and teachers.

Our Gold award went to one of our youngest members of the school community - what a fantastic role model!

All our nominees have a certificate to take home too - as usual, it was a very very tricky job to choose between the nominations!

Next term's Christian Foundation is Justice - we will be looking for Justice Jet-Setters next term!

Merry Christmas,

Mrs Wish

Our Christian Foundation of Peace:

This term, our Christian Foundation has been ‘Peace’. Teachers were on the lookout for children who are peacemakers; those who go out of their way to help others solve disputes, children who are good at reflecting and will wholeheartedly throw themselves into thoughtful tasks and children who are patient with those in the class that need a little more support and encouragement.

Well done to our gold, silver and bronze award winners: Percy, Esther and Harrison!

Our Christian Foundation of Creation:

This term, our Christian Foundation has been ‘Creation’. Teachers were on the lookout for children who were creative children, using God's gifts of creativity well. This might have included those who look after God's creation, who are encouraging of others' work and creations, and who are appreciative of others' efforts, children who are respectful of our school environment and children who are not wasteful with our school resources and who try to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Well done to our gold, silver and bronze award winners, Phoebe, Lucas and Daizy!

Scarlet Class have enjoyed their first week back exploring and discussing the new Christian Foundations from creating binoculars to search for God's creations to painting and going on a trust walk to remind us of the foundations Forgiveness and Peace.

Year 4 explored the Christian Foundation of Love. We answered questions in groups during which the children demonstrated amazing collaborative working. In the afternoon they went on a scavenger hunt to find famous quotes about Love.

Our Christian Ambassadors

Wow, wow and WOW!

Earlier this term, we set the school our first termly Social Action Challenge - to be Creation Crusaders! And gosh, did our amazing school children deliver!

We have had such a lovely variety of activities that the children chose - they found such a lot of different ways to be Creation Crusaders! We have had litter picks, we have had creative writing (with a moral about making sure we don't litter), we have had super recyclers, we have had super upcyclers, we have had bug hotels, we have had artwork made from rubbish that was found on the beach, we have had children home-growing their own food to cut down on their food's carbon footprint... we have even had someone write instructions on how to grow plants in recycled plastic bottles! And more!

All of these children are such super stars - what an impact you have all had on our local community and the wider world! You have all earned your Creation Crusader stamper and I can't wait to see what you do for the next Social Action Challenge!

From a very proud Mrs Wish 

Our Year 6 children have been looking after our school environment by being Creation Crusaders! They have been litter picking and sweeping up debris. Watch this space for the other year groups joining in! 

Peace Protectors!

This term, our Peace Protector Social Action challenge was to bring a bit of peace and joy to those who may be lonely. Take a look at these fabulous Christmas cards! As well as this, we've also had children going to people they know and caroling for them! All of these children, and any children who put their cards on Facebook or emailed their teacher, will have received a stamp on their Character Virtues Champion Certificates.

Watch out for our next Social Action Challenge! Next term, our termly Christian Foundation to focus on is Justice - we're going to be Justice Jet-Setters!!

What will you do to continue to spread peace this Christmas time?

Rainbow and Sunshine Class

This term our big RE question is 'Which books are special and why?'

We have first thought about what is special to us at home. 

​We then explored our school to find things that we think are special. 

We found things like the library, classrooms, the Christian Cross, the trophies and the prayer box. We even had a go at writing a prayer. 

Christingle

Our Christingle service was as special and as lovely as ever! KS2’s annual celebration of Jesus’ birth took place on Monday 16^th December at 6pm. The children sang beautifully, the readings were fantastic, the prayers were thoughtful and the lighting of the Christingles were beautiful. As always, the donations we collect go to the Children’s Society, who support vulnerable children all over the UK.

A Miracle in Town

KS1 Nativity 

KS1 worked so hard to put on several outstanding performances of this year's Nativity 'A Miracle in Town'. Not only did the school get to enjoy the show, but also parents, grandparents and friends of the school, along with several members of our local community who have special links with us. The performance included beautiful narrations, superb singing, great acting, musical accompaniments  and some wonderful dancing camels. It was a show not to be missed and as visitors quoted 'A fabulous show that symbolised the start of Christmas'.

Our Entrance Hall Makeover!

Our entrance hall has had a bit of a makeover to reflect our Christian Foundations! There is work displayed from our fabulous Christian Foundations Week at the start of the academic year as well as some interactive displays that children can use. One of these is a ‘Take What You Need’ Display, where children can take a piece of scripture to encourage them if they are feeling worried, anxious, in need of advice about friendship, or want to know what the Bible says God says about them. They can either take that scripture and keep it, or pass it on to someone else they may feel needs encouraging.

To begin our new academic year, the whole school participated in our Christian Foundations Week.

This was to launch our new Christian Foundations of Creation, Justice, Love, Peace and Forgiveness.

These are visually represented to the children in the form of a tree, which links to our new school motto of ‘Nurturing Foundations, Flourishing with God’ as well as our new chosen school parable, The Parable of the Mustard Seed.

To launch these changes in school, our first week back was our ‘Christian Foundations Week’, which was dedicated to learning and growing in our Christian Character, as well as using the Christian Foundations to answer the Big Question, ‘What does our school vision look like in our classroom?’ Each class looked at each Christian Foundation over the course of the week, creating a display for parents and carers to come and see, along with our new Minster Foundations Tree, designed by local artist Darren Horton, which was installed in the hall over the summer break.

Below are some pictures of what the children got up to over the week – all the while, ‘Nurturing Foundations, Flourishing with God’.  

In Year 4 we created our own tissue paper butterflies. The children then trusted a partner to care for their ‘creation’. This helped them to understand how important it is to care for things that we create.

Year 5 explored the Christian Foundation of ‘Love’, creating cookies in the shape of love hearts to take to Rivers Court, a retirement home in the village. The Christian Ambassadors then went to deliver the cookies, with Mrs Wish’s help. The residents were absolutely blown away; many trying to give the children donations – and it was the children’s pleasure to tell them that they were a gift, showing our love for them.

Year 6 participated in a ‘Trust Walk’; the children really had to listen and be peaceful! There was also a big of ‘Forgiveness’ needed at times, too – when partners may have led then a little astray!