Look at what we have been up to!

• World Book Day 2023

  Fri 03 Mar 2023

  Farfield celebrated World Book Day 2023 in style with a vocabulary dress up. We had menacing to magical and courageous to chocolatey. 

  Our book potato competition had so many entries it filled up the whole of the bottom deck of our library bus! Mrs Nichols even had to choose extra winners.

  Our Farfield family are so imaginative and creative!

  Our day was filled with bookish activities from booknics in EYFS, story spoons in KS1 to becoming illustrators in KS2.

  Of course lots of books were read and everyone received their own voucher to get their free WBD book - HAPPY READING EVERYONE!

  

• Children's Mental Health Awareness Week 2023

  Fri 10 Feb 2023

  Monday 6th February - Friday 10th February was Children's Mental Health Awareness Week. The theme of the week was 'Let's Connect' and the children reflected on what connecting means and the ways in which we can connect with others. The whole school shared the poem 'Together' by Matt Goodfellow which describes how we are stronger when we work together as one. The week ended with a non-uniform day with donations being made to Young Minds. A special well done to Ava who came to school in a t-shirt she'd worked on with several family members including her younger brother Acer. Thank you Ava for taking time to promote such a worthwhile cause!

  

• myHappymind - Meet your brain - what our children think

  Fri 10 Feb 2023

  The children have now completed the first module of myHappymind – Meet the brain.

  We asked a group of children if they enjoyed the meeting their brain sessions, here are some of the things they said:

  ‘I like it – it tells us and makes us learn about our brain – when we feel certain emotions in our brain and why we feel them.’ (Tooki Y6)

  ‘I like the quizzes because it tests the knowledge that you’ve learnt in the sessions.’ (Ava Y5)

  We asked what they had learnt through the meet the brain sessions, here are some of the things they said:

  ‘When you’re scared the amygdala takes over and it means that you can feel a sense of danger even when there’s none there.’ (Naomi Y6)

  ‘That when the different parts of the brain don’t work together, we panic and can start to worry about simple things.’ (Hanani Y4)

  ‘That the brain’s job is to keep us safe.’ (Mikey Y3)

  ‘The amygdala can take over and make team HAP not able to work together because it goes in to fight, fright or freeze.’ (Noah Y5)

  ‘Betsy and Bertie, they keep trying to draw and they get neater when they practise.’ (Isabelle Rec)

  The children have learnt a technique called happy breathing. We asked if they had used this to help them, here are some of the things they said:

  ‘ I used it when I was writing up my work, I got stressed because it wasn’t quite right and I wanted to start again.’ (Hanani Y4)

  ‘I went horse riding the other day and my horse started fast trotting and I got scared and my amygdala took over so I did my happy breathing.’ (Layla Y3)

  ‘I’m mostly happy but in my lesson Bertie and Betsy help you do it.’ (Alfie Y2)

  ‘I do it when I feel sad.’ (Neriyah Y1)

  We asked if they could describe a neuroplasticity moment and when they’d had one, here are some of the things they said:

  ‘It’s when you keep on trying to do something and your brain gets bigger and forms neural pathways. When I was trying to do the obstacle course – I kept on trying and eventually I got to the point where I could do.’ (Hanani Y4)

  ‘I did in maths – I keep on learning more new things AND FUN FACT YOUR FIST IS HOW BIG YOUR BRAIN IS!’ (Mikey Y3)

  ‘When you try new things and your brain tries to get used to it and you make a stronger pathway and you get more used to doing it – I’ve got better at the flashback 4!’ (Noah Y5)

  

• Number Day

  Fri 03 Feb 2023

  Today we supported the NSPCC's Number Day.  Children and adults came to school dressed as digits, shapes and patterns.  During our maths lessons we took part in activities that showed 'Mathematical Me!' 

  As part of celebrating mathematics in school, we invited parents and carers in to school to share the power of games with each year group.  We all had a wonderful time playing games together, whilst learning about problems solving, strategy and playing with others.

  

• Mixed

  Fri 27 Jan 2023

  Our whole school book for the beginning of the Spring term was 'Mixed' by Arree Chung. The story celebrates the differences between people and how it is possible to accept different qualities and still live together in harmony.

  Every child in school created a story based on the book - their hard work and creative skills have produced some fantastic pieces of work. Make sure to ask your child about the work they have done around 'Mixed' so you are as impressed as us by their efforts.

  

• RockKidz

  Fri 13 Jan 2023

  Today the whole school took part in learning this crucial message with Si and Johnathan from RockKidz. 

  Our theme for the day was self-esteem and that being different is what we are, this not only linked to our whole school book 'Mixed' but was also tonnes of fun!

  Congratulations to Amelia and Izobella who won the rockiest-dressed competition, receiving 'Remixed' the sequel to 'Mixed' as their prize. 

  Further congratulations to Miss Cheney, Mr Yardley and the children in Early Years who won the 3 Dance Battles throughout the day. 

   

  Below you can see the message we all learnt:

  Stop telling me who I should be

  I'm one of a kind made perfectly

  We're not the same but that's ok

  I've said it before and I'll say it again

  Yeah

  BE YOURSELF EVERYONE ELSE IS TAKEN

  TELL MYSELF THIS IS WHO I AM

  Hey, Hey, Hey

  'CAUSE I'M ORIGINAL, INDIVIDIDUAL, UNMISTAKABLE, NOBODY LIKE ME

  NO NEED TO FAKE IT 'CAUSE I'M AMAZING

  TELL THE WORLD THERE'S NOBODY LIKE ME

  I'm confident in my own skin

  No need to change just to fit in

  We're not the same but that's ok

  I've said it before and I'll say it again

   

  BE YOURSELF EVERYONE ELSE IS TAKEN

  TELL MYSELF THIS IS WHO I AM

  Hey, Hey, Hey

  'CAUSE I'M ORIGINAL, INDIVIDIDUAL, UNMISTAKABLE, NOBODY LIKE ME

  NO NEED TO FAKE IT 'CAUSE I'M AMAZING

  TELL THE WORLD THERE'S NOBODY LIKE ME

  NOBODY LIKE ME!

   

   

  

• Mixed Day

  Fri 06 Jan 2023

  To celebrate the launch of our Spring book 'Mixed', children dressed in red, blue or yellow for the day. Unbeknown to them, this would affect their choices at different points during the day as they could only spend time with their own colour. This activity was to illustrate how the characters in the book might have been feeling as well as highlighting how important it is to appreciate our differences: it doesn't matter what we look like, we can all get along. We live in a bright and diverse world - it would be boring if we were all the same!

  

• my Happy mind

  Fri 06 Jan 2023

  We have introduced a program to all year groups at school called myHappymind. myHappymind is all based around helping children to understand how their brain works and to support them in developing positive skills and habits to be their very best selves!

   

  myHappymind is delivered in schools by class teachers through a series of interactive lessons and then the children apply these learnings throughout the day. To further embed this learning and ensure that you are able to engage in these topics with your child, myHappymind has developed a set of resources for parents. These resources can be accessed online on your computer, or through an app on your phone. The resources allow children to continue to practise some of the habits they have developed at school, such as happy breathing, for you to learn more about what they are learning in the program. Also included are activities for you to do together at home, to complement the in-school lessons.

   

  To access these materials just go to https://myhappymind.org/parent-resources and enter your name, email, and authentication code. Your authentication code is 107238

   

  We really encourage you to make use of this free content so that you can support your child in getting the best out of the curriculum. If you have any questions about the curriculum, please contact your class teacher.

   

  If you have any technical questions about accessing the resources, please contact hello@myHappymind.org

  

• A visit from someone special!

  Fri 16 Dec 2022

  Over the last two days we have welcomed a very special visitor to Farfield Primary & Nursery School. All children from our youngest to our oldest received a gift from Father Christmas.

  What a lovely way to end our term. Merry Christmas to all and we will see you in 2023!

  

• Autumn Attendance Prize Winners

  Fri 16 Dec 2022

  As you all know, every day in school counts! This term children with excellent attendance were entered into prize draw to win a bike. Congratulations to our Early Years & Key Stage 1 winner Frankie and our Key Stage 2 winner Chloe who today chose their very own brand new bike!