Online Safety: Supporting Children to Develop Emotional Literacy
Big and difficult feelings are part of growing up but they can be easier to handle with guidance and support. This week’s guide and the latest episode of our #WakeUpWednesday podcast offer expert advice on helping youngsters develop emotional literacy. Download here >> https://ow.ly/qUgp50UOPOF Listen here >> https://ow.ly/InKO50UOPOG
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Reception: Muddy Monday
Today our Reception children braved the cold and went outside for an observational walk to Jack Keys. We focused on spirituality this week and really focussed on what we could see, hear and smell. We stopped and looked around at all of God's beautiful creations. It was lovely to take a moment to really focus on what is all around us. We had a wonderful afternoon and we were really impressed with the children's resilience with the weather and the amount of walking we did.
Year 6 Life Education Session
Year 6 had their Life Education session, this week. The focus was on decisions and choices, friendships, being assertive, drugs and body impact. The children watched and discussed scenarios and thought about what they would do in these situations. They talked about drugs and their impact on our bodies and how to deal with peer-pressure. The children learned a lot and really enjoyed the session.
Year 4 - Life Education
Our Life Education session today was called ‘It’s Great To Be Me’. In Year 4, the children learned about the importance of looking after their bodies and not putting harmful substances in them. They learned about drugs, including medicines and how they must only be taken by the intended person and in the dose advised. The children were particularly excited to see Harold the Giraffe again. They saw a short film with Harold and his friends resolving conflict and celebrating each others’ differences.
Year 2 - Our body and feelings
Today we had a very exciting workshop from Life Education. Even Harold came to visit, which was lots of fun! We spoke about our bodies and why it is important to look after them. We also spoke about how to protect our bodies from things that could harm us. To finish we discussed how different situations make us feel. We explored a story where Harold had accidentally hurt his friend’s feelings without realising. In year 2, this is something we speak about often. Sometimes your feelings can get hurt and it might not be on purpose but an accident. We are learning to know that if we talk to our friends we can resolve our problems without falling out!
Year 5 Life Education Session
Year 5 really enjoyed their Life Education session this week. The focus was on friendship and the children watched different scenarios, discussing themes such as: drugs and body impact, assertiveness and standing up for what you know is right, even when that is difficult to do. The children also talked about health and mindfulness and even had a little hello from Harold the giraffe!
Online Safety: Health and Fitness Apps
From data privacy worries to potential costs, it’s important to understand the risks posed by fitness apps – especially for younger users. This week’s guide and the latest episode of the #WakeUpWednesday podcast address some concerns around these platforms. Download here >> https://ow.ly/HV3T50UKg31 Listen here >> https://ow.ly/ic8a50UBtAe
Year 3- Meet the Brain!
This afternoon, Year 3 enjoyed a visit from the Life Education Van, led by Karen. She shared fascinating insights about how our brains work and emphasised the importance of energy, oxygen, and exercise to keep them healthy. The children were also delighted to reunite with Harold the Giraffe, who made a special appearance after last year’s visit. Harold was impressed by how much the children had grown and commented on their maturity.
Reception: PSHE
Karen from Life Education visited Reception today. She explained how we need food, drink, exercise and sleep to stay healthy. Karen explained how we need to make sure germs don't get in by washing our hands with soap and water. We might need some medicine and we need to ask a grown up. We watched a video of Harold. Before he ate his breakfast, he washed his hands. Karen brought Harold's wash bag to show the children what he uses to keep clean. Harold has a flannel, soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste. Karen explained how it is very important to brush our teeth at least twice every day. Harold felt a little bit sad. Karen explained that if you feel a bit sad, you could cuddle a toy, play with a friend or talk to someone. Talking really helps when you feel sad and it can help you to feel better. Karen discussed a good bedtime. She explained how it is important to get an early bed time. We then took part in a calm and relaxing activity. At the end, we got to meet Harold, what a treat! Harold sang a song to us all about looking after our bodies and mind. Thanks Karen for a wonderful session.
Year 1 PSHE- Life Education Visit
Today, Year 1 had a life education session with Karen and Harold the Giraffe. We learnt that there are lots of different food groups that we need to be eating to ensure that we are consuming a balanced diet. We learnt about dairy foods such as cheese and yogurts which help to make our teeth and bones strong and healthy, protein foods such as chicken, fish, beans and eggs which support muscle growth, fruits and vegetables such as peas, broccoli, peppers and bananas which provide our body with vitamins and minerals to keep us fit and healthy all over and carbohydrate foods such as pasta, cereals, rice, porridge and potatoes which are good for giving us energy. We then talked about our organs (where they are located and what are their functions). We learnt that our ribs look after our heart and lungs, our heart pumps blood around the body, our lungs help us to breathe and our stomach breaks down our food which is called digestion. We learnt that our body absorbs the ‘good stuff’ from our foods and the ‘not so good stuff’ leaves our bodies when we go to the toilet. We then had a look at a packed lunch that Harold the Giraffe had packed. We talked about how his lunch box included bread (carbohydrates), tuna (protein), cheese (dairy) and a yogurt (dairy). We agreed that it was a great lunch but it could be improved by including a portion of fruit or vegetables. Alayna, Cici and Percy then shared their ideas for a balanced lunch. Alayna said that she would have an egg sandwich, apple, banana and a yogurt, Cici said that she would have a tuna sandwich, cucumber, carrots, grated cheese and orange juice and Percy said that he would have a ham sandwich, apple, yogurt and a boiled egg. To end our session, we watched a video and explored the the friendship between Harold the Giraffe, Kiki the Kangaroo and Derek the Penguin. We learnt that we must always think through what we are about to do before we do it to make sure that there is no risk of us upsetting or hurting anyone. We also talked about the importance of sleep for resting our brains, helping our bodies to grow and rebuilding our energy. Thank you to Harold and Karen from Life Education as Year 1 thoroughly enjoyed the session and learnt lots about how to stay fit, healthy and be a good friend.
Year 3- Online Safety-TikTok
This afternoon, Year 3 discussed the TikTok app. Many children mentioned that they were unfamiliar with it or only used it under parental supervision. We explored the app's features, such as creating and sharing short videos, adding music, and using effects and filters. The children worked in small groups to discuss its advantages, such as creativity and entertainment, as well as potential risks and why it is age-restricted. This helped them understand the importance of using apps responsibly and with guidance.
Online Safety: Tik Tok
With 22% of its billion-strong userbase being between the ages of 13 and 17, the popularity of TikTok among the younger generation is indisputable. Providing entertainment in the form of a stream of short-form video content while allowing its users to post videos of their own the app has skyrocketed to prominence over the last few years, becoming a fixture in young people’s digital lives. Of course, with a platform as popular and gargantuan as TikTok, it can be intimidating trying to figure out how best to safeguard children and young people using the app. That’s why Wake Up Wednesday have released this brand-new guide to TikTok, detailing the main online safety concerns and suggesting strategies to reduce these risks for the app’s younger users.