The start of February marks the beginning of Children’s Mental Health Week and this year’s theme is “Know Yourself, Grow Yourself.”
To celebrate, in PSHE, the children explored the idea of individuality by identifying five things that make them unique. They expressed their ideas through drawings or writing, celebrating the qualities that make them them! They also reflected on the fact that sometimes they may make the same choices as their friends, while at other times, they may choose differently—and that’s perfectly okay. Drawing inspiration from a theme park map, the children designed their very own theme parks. Each park included a variety of activities to ensure there was something for everyone, emphasising the importance of inclusivity and celebrating differences.
Building on this theme, during their Art lesson, they created their own trees with watercolours. They reflected on the roots of their identity-what defines them, what matters most to them and the key elements that help them thrive and grow. Drawing trees can be calming because trees often symbolise life, growth and resilience. Each tree can represent a child’s unique personality—whether it’s sturdy and grounded, tall and reaching for the sky or adorned with vibrant leaves. The roots, though hidden, represent their families, the support and experiences that help them grow and thrive.
Linking with this theme of identity and growth, the children continued learning the vocabulary for family members in French. They explored how family forms an essential part of their roots—those who support them, nurture them and contribute to their ability to thrive and grow.
This week in gymnastics, children worked in groups to explore tucked, long, and wide body shapes. Using apparatus, they performed these shapes at high, medium, and low levels, focusing on control, balance, and precision. The session encouraged creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving, helping to develop confidence and coordination. Each movement was carefully refined to improve quality and execution.
In our history session, we explored space exploration and the role of artificial satellites like the International Space Station (ISS) and the Hubble Space Telescope. We looked at how astronauts have travelled beyond Earth and the research they have conducted, including studying climate change, weather patterns, and GPS technology. Life in space was another key focus. We discussed how astronauts eat, sleep, and exercise in microgravity, as well as the challenges of living and working in space.
In Science, the Year 5 children explored shadows and how they are formed by a light source being blocked by an object. They investigated how moving the light source further away from an object makes the shadow smaller and fainter, while bringing it closer makes the shadow larger and sharper. They also learned about solar and lunar eclipses, which relate to shadows on a much larger scale. A solar eclipse happens when the Moon blocks the Sun’s light, casting a shadow on Earth, while a lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth blocks sunlight from reaching the Moon, causing the Moon to appear darkened.
This week, the children explored musical composition inspired by Hans Zimmer’s Earth, focusing on how music can represent our planet. They created their own three-note motifs and experimented with rhythm, dynamics, and pitch to evoke elements such as volcanoes, oceans, and mountains.
In R.E., the Year 5 children learned about the Sikh story of Guru Nanak and the Jasmine Flower, which teaches the importance of kindness, wisdom, and making space for goodness in our lives. The story tells of a bowl filled to the brim with milk, symbolising a place already full, leaving no room for anything else. Guru Nanak gently placed a jasmine flower on top, showing that goodness and wisdom can always find space without displacing what is already there. To represent this teaching, the children created their own pots, symbolising the bowl of milk from the story, reflecting on how they can bring kindness and positivity into their own lives.
