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Cre8ability- Session 1
What a fantastic start to our "Nurturing Emotional Wellbeing in Creative Spaces" group today, expertly guided by Cre8ability! We saw parents and children connecting and expressing themselves through Picasso-esque art in a wonderfully calming atmosphere. Beyond the creative process, they discovered how colors can represent feelings and practiced calming techniques. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Carol and Maria for making it such a success – we can't wait for more next week!
Donuts for Dads Event
Good afternoon, Thank you so much to everybody who came to our Donuts for Dads and for making the event a huge success. We haven't got an official total but it is around £300 so thank you so much for your kind donations. Further pictures will be available on our gallery on our website. https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/donuts-for-dads We do have plenty of doughnuts available so there will be a doughnut sale after school tomorrow to sell the remaining doughnuts for a donation. All of the money will be spent to benefit our children in school. Thank you to our FOSB and to our staff for helping to set up, for running and for tidying up after the event too. I will post the raffle draw results shortly. Thank you, Mrs Wilkinson
Reception- Forest School
This afternoon we have enjoyed a forest school session. We have had fun bug hunting, habitat building, role playing, and den building. The children learnt about different flowers and trees in our environment and had a great time exploring.
Year 3- Understanding the Risks: Staying Safe Online
Today in class, we talked about staying safe online, especially when it comes to seeing violent content. About 70% of teenagers have seen real-life violence online in the past year, and it's not just a small problem. While some might actively seek it out, many encounter it through group chats or social media algorithms, meaning it can pop up even if you're not looking for it. After discussing these important points, Year 3 agreed on: they all need to be careful about what they watch and share, and how it affects everyone. If they ever see upsetting content or feel pressured to share something, they will talk to a trusted adult, like a parent and teacher.
Online Safety: Violent Content Online
Violence, viral videos and vulnerability. Most kids aren’t looking for violent content online – but they’re still seeing it. This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide explores the impact and offers advice for trusted adults. Download your FREE copy here >> https://ow.ly/KcKr50VVJxp
Mental Health Awareness Whole School Worship Led by Year 4
Following on from Mental Health Awareness Week last week, Year 4 led a whole school worship this morning. The children in Year 4 have been focusing on mental health, what helps us to better our mental health and they have also delivered random acts of kindness. In the worship, the children shared a lovely video that was created by primary school children on how we can share our feelings, thinking, emotions and moods. We know how to look after our physical health but our mental health is just as important. We learnt that Year 4 like to take part in sport, get a good nights sleep, spend time with friends and family, share problems and eat healthy and drink plenty of water! The children also shared some beautiful kindness poems and buckets of how they fill them to support their mental health. We are very proud of Year 4 for sharing their experiences and it’s great to know how much we can support each other along the way!
Year 3-Living Life to the Fullest at Rock and River
What an unforgettable day at Rock and River! Today, Year 3 embarked on their exciting class trip to Rock and River, a day filled with challenge, adventure, and growth. The aim of the day was to step outside comfort zones, try new experiences, and explore personal potential, and the children did exactly that! From the Low Ropes Course, climbing wall, and air bag jump, to Rafted Canoes, Sit-on-Top Kayaks, Paddle Boards, and the Mega Paddle Boards, every child embraced the challenges with enthusiasm and bravery. What made the day special was the way the children supported one another. There was a wonderful sense of encouragement, respect, and team spirit, with friendships strengthened through shared experiences and mutual celebration of each other’s efforts. Throughout the day, the children truly lived life to the fullest, laughing, learning, and pushing beyond their fears. Just as importantly, they embodied the Christian values at the heart of our school: courage, friendship and encouragement. It was a day of lifelong memories, an example of what can be achieved when we believe in ourselves and lift each other. A huge well done to every single one of them, they should be incredibly proud! All of the photos will be added to this album shortly: https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/year-3-rock-and-river-2024-25
Online Safety: Minecraft
Block out online risks in Minecraft. With millions of players chatting and creating - and interest rising again after April’s movie release - our #WakeUpWednesday guide helps parents and educators keep young gamers safe in this endlessly popular sandbox title. Download >> https://ow.ly/7ZTF50VRURe #MinecraftSafety #GamingParents #OnlineSafetyTips #SafeGaming
Year 5- Peer Mediation training
Year 5 had their final peer mediation training session today. They role played a session, looked at scenarios that they could and could not mediate and looked at problems they might encounter. Year 5 have now been asked to apply to become a mediator by writing a letter. We can't wait to introduce our new peer mediators soon.
Reception: 5 Ways to Wellbeing
Our Reception class had a wonderful session focussing on wellbeing through being active, staying connected, and taking notice. The children thoroughly enjoyed their Forest Schools session, where they were actively running, exploring, and building together. This hands-on experience fostered both their physical health and their ability to stay connected as they collaborated on projects and supported each other's play. Creativity blossomed as they used "God's creations" to make art. Leaves, twigs, and pebbles became their media, encouraging appreciation for the natural world. This activity also promoted connection as they shared materials and ideas. Moments of quiet reflection helped the children practice taking notice. They listened to the birds singing, observed the beauty around them, and explored their spirituality by expressing gratitude for their environment. This encouraged mindfulness and a sense of wonder. These engaging activities provided valuable lessons in looking after their wellbeing through movement, positive relationships, and appreciating the present moment.
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Online Safety: Fostering a Sense of Belonging
Every child deserves to feel seen, heard, and valued. Our FREE guide shares 10 simple ways to build belonging at school and at home - from celebrating individuality to tackling bullying. Download >> https://ow.ly/oW4h50VNUsx #WakeUpWednesday #ParentTips
Random Acts of Kindness around our community
As part of our PSHE sessions we have been looking at mental health awareness, what fills our buckets and how we can spread kindness. We decided to complete random acts of kindness by sharing our kindness poems that we had written in class. Inside the poems we wrapped a hot chocolate and a biscuit for people to enjoy. It was so lovely to share these with our local community and the children were super excited to give them out. We put a smile on so many peoples faces and they really appreciated how much effort Year 4 had made. We look forward to sharing more about this in our Presentation of learning next week whilst it’s Mental Health Awareness week too !