Children's Mental Health Week

~ Express Yourself! ~

"By talking openly about mental health from a young age, children can learn to better understand their emotions, break down stigma, and feel safe enough to reach out for help when it’s needed.  Talking about mental health and expressing our feelings can be difficult, no matter our age."

It is really important to share with others about how we are feeling. We all have times when we feel a bit fed up. The most important thing is that we understand this and find ways to make ourselves feel better. These are some ideas; 

1. Tell someone - a friend or a trusted adult.  

2. Write it down- this can help you to stop thinking about your worry.  You could make a 'worry box' to put your worries into.  

3. Do something active- physical activity can release endorphins (chemicals in the brain) that can help you to feel happier.  

4. Get engrossed in a hobby or find a way to express yourself.  

5. Talk about all the things that make you special. 

6. Take a moment to think about all the things that you have achieved today.  

This week we would like you to spend some time during either Home Learning Challenge Time or Plan, Do, Review to look after your mental health, express yourself and have fun!  Here are some ideas that you might like to try. 

Wednesday 3rd February 2021 - Learning Challenges

Before 0900- Wake Up and Get Dressed

Get ready for the day with independence; have a wash, dress yourself, eat breakfast and brush your teeth.

0900-0930 - Reading

Log on to Tapestry to listen to one of the teachers read this week’s story! 

If you are having trouble accessing our video, choose a book at home to read to yourself or share with someone in your family.

After listening to the story, you will need to complete a Reading Challenge of your choice each day from the grid below.

0930-1000- Maths Challenge

Warm up by counting to 10, forwards and backwards.  

Your Maths learning each day will begin by watching a video on the White Rose Maths website.  Watch the video and then complete the challenge found in the 'Additional Resources' section at the bottom of the page.  

White Rose – Growing 6, 7, 8! – Week 2 –  Session 3- https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/early-years/growing-6-7-8-week-2/

At the bottom of the page there are also some Additional Maths Challenges. These are only to be completed after the initial White Rose lesson and challenge. Only complete them if they are appropriate for your child, or you have spare time in your day.  

1000-1045- Home Learning Challenge 

Choose one of the challenges on either of your Reception Home Learning Challenges grids to complete (there are now three different challenge grids).  The latest grid can be found in the 'Additional Resources' section at the bottom of this page and all previous challenge grids can be found on our Year R COVID-19 Home Page in the 'Challenges' section.  

1045-1115 Break Time

Have one healthy snack: a banana, apple, orange etc. with a glass of milk or water.  Take some time to relax, maybe you could listen to another story online. 

1115 - 1145- Live Daily Zoom Session

Don't forget to log into zoom for our daily session. It will be great to see you all and a chance to catch up with all your friends.

1145 - 1215 – Enquiry Challenge

Today we would like you to draw a story map or your version of Goldilocks. A story map is where we use pictures to show what is happening throughout the story. We have made these at school before. Sometimes it is easiest to start with a long curved line to draw your pictures along (a blank version of this is included in the additional resources section or you can make your own). Draw out the different parts of the story along the line, think about the beginning, the setting, the characters, the problem and the solution from your tales toolkit. You can add labels as you go to help remember what is happening in your pictures. An example has been included below, this is of the Christmas Story. To add an extra challenge, you could write a couple of sentence about your story. Remember to plan your sentence, say what you want to write, count the words, say the sentence over and over and read back over what you have already written. Please share your story maps with us on Tapestry. 

1200 - 1300 - Lunchtime

1300- 1330 – Phonics
Open Tapestry and watch the video ‘Set 1 Speed Sounds.’  Say the sounds along with the video; can you remember them all and say them first?  You should watch and say your Speed Sounds every single day. 
After warming up with your Speed Sounds, watch your Phonics Lesson video on Tapestry.

1330 Onwards- Plan, Do, Review – 

Encourage your child to make a Learning Choice from a list of options (change these to suit) but they should include selecting from:

• Indoor exercise (Cosmic Yoga – found on Youtube or GoNoodle);

• Go for an afternoon walk;

• A Home Learning Challenge;

• A Forest School Challenge;

• Be creative (craft, painting, playdough, baking);

• Exercise (ride your bike, go for a run, play football/rugby);

• Quiet activity (puzzle, colouring, board game);

• Screen time on a learning website/app (links can be found on the ‘Useful Websites to Support Home Learning’ section of our COVID-19 Yr R Page).

When your child has made their choice, discuss: Where are they going to do their Learning Choice?  What exactly are they going to be doing?  How are they going to do it?

When they have completed their Learning Choice, Review it.  What went well?  How could they improve it?  You could revisit it tomorrow afternoon to improve.  What have they learnt? 

When you have finished, enjoy some free time to yourself or to spend with your family. 

We hope you have had a lovely day and we can’t wait to see your uploads on Tapestry.