Contribution
Look at these eco-stars contributing! Year 5 initiated a litter pick this week.
Last week, parents contributed all over the place and they continue to do so. My thanks goes to all those parents who have added to the children’s experiences this over the past ten days. I know there are more learning opportunities planned for the near future, too.
We are so blessed to have such generous people in our community who give up their time to enhance our curriculum. I would like to signpost you back to contributions from the community and its importance, mentioned in my article: Volunteers and Visitors. Please click here to read.
And so swiftly back to this environmentally aware group of Year 5s …
As the week progressed, I then spotted this magnificent scene out of the window of the staffroom:
I chatted with the girls’ tutors and asked them to do some digging about where the idea had come from. They told me that Emma R is Year 5’s Eco Club Warrior and she is always trying to think of ways to help the environment. She wanted to help her immediate environment: the school. The idea came from Hattie S, as a suggestion for the Eco Warriors. Emma R thought it was a great idea and, together, they put it into action immediately. Lots of people just stopped playing in their own lunchtimes and joined in!
But, seriously, this whole idea of ‘contribution’ must have started BEFORE they returned from Christmas break. Here is an email I received during the holidays:
Dear Mrs Ball,
I was wondering if you had remembered to talk about the drama group: me (Hattie), Rosie and Thomasin. We wanted to run it for the Year 2 to Year 3 children with 10 people in the group. It would be on lunchtimes dates or morning break times. If you say yes, then we can maybe agree the dates together with me, Rosie and Thomasin. Was also wondering if you could talk about it in your meeting.
P.S. If you say yes then we were thinking about having an adult in the room just to supervise them a bit.
From Hattie
Hattie is a Year 5 pupil who has recently joined the St Peter’s community. She and her friends approached me about running a club for younger pupils ages ago, maybe October 2019. The answer, then, was that they would have to wait until the Lent Term programme as we were fully booked for the Michaelmas Term. They didn’t give up; they didn’t forget and go onto the next thing. They simply waited and planned their Drama Teaching sessions more. So I replied …
Dear Hattie,
This email is excellent.
We are currently putting together the activities programme together for Lent Term. We will endeavour to meet your requirements. (I have forwarded your request to Mr Budgett and Mrs Tyson who are working together this term on the activities programme).
I am very grateful to you and your ‘crew’ for thinking in this way. #Community.
We will be back in touch with answers.
Best wishes,
Mrs Ball
The answer was, of course, ‘yes’.
My thanks go to Miss Green and Miss Hoare, who helped the girls achieve this self-designed lunchtime activity for younger pupils, they only ‘supervise’. It is the children who teach the children during this drop-in club. I thank Mr Budgett for really listening to the pupil voice and celebrating the success with the girls, who have put together a really well organised activity programme for this term.
I have heard nothing but good remarks about just how well the group is going (I am yet to get there due to being on duty at the same time)! The Year 2 pupils have come out of the club beaming and are still continuing to play the Drama games they have learned in the playground. They are passing their learning on and teaching other friends too! A beautiful gift from one child to another.
It reminds me of something Mrs Bruce Jones said in her Careers Assembly on Thursday. She wanted to stress to the children four things about their future careers:
1. Most young people will not follow the 20th century notion of one job for life; the majority will have a number of careers over their working life.
2. Some of our children will have “portfolio businesses” (ie be “Slashies”): working for themselves, but having a variety of businesses concurrently. Ideas and creativity.
3. Whatever they do, to be successful they should be proactive for their customers: solve their problems and present new ideas.
4. Be a FINISHER because the world is full of “starters”.
Finishers!
Yes. That is what our current Year 5 crew have demonstrated.
They were good idea creators.
They presented new ideas.
They were proactive in their beliefs.
They were doers, not just talkers.
They solved problems.
They were starters.
They were finishers.
Nice one crew.
Mrs Bruce-Jones and all of us staff are proud.
L.Ball
Deputy Head
