NEWSROUND

Information for Parents, Teachers an d C ar ersNews Round Mesage in a bottle top

LYNGFORD PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL is one of two runners up in the Message in a Bottle Top art competition, part of a nationwide recycling campaign to raise awareness about the dangerous impact of plastic waste on the environment. It is led by sustainable composite decking brand Composite Prime® in collaboration with the National Schools Partnership. Pupils from the school collected and transformed 6,500 plastic bottle tops into stunning art sculptures. Nicole Stearn, art lead and teacher said:

“The children have been creative throughout - coming up with initial design ideas, collecting and sorting bottle tops and constructing the sculptures using other recycled waste materials. I am absolutely thrilled with the end result and the impact the colourful animals have in Lyngford Park’s reception area. The project has engaged so many of the students whose wonderful ideas inspired the creation of the octopus with tentacles entwined with plastic rubbish, the Taunton Town football playing peacock and the angler fish whose lure illuminates its mouth full of plastic pollution.” With more than 1,239 schools entering from across the country it really is a fantastic achievement. Well Done!

Reach out to stop bullying

REACH OUT is the theme of this year’s Anti-Bullying Week taking place from 14 to 18 November. Bullying affects millions of young lives and can leave them feeling hopeless. But it doesn’t have to be this way. If we challenge it, we can change it. And it starts by reaching out.

The theme came from consultation with teachers and pupils by the AntiBullying Alliance. They wanted a theme that empowered them to do something positive to counter the harm and hurt that bullying causes.

The week will begin with Odd Socks Day supported by CBBC and CBeebies star Andy Day and his band Andy and the Odd Socks. The band will record and release a toe-tapping song to mark the day on the first day of Anti-Bullying Week.

There’s a serious message behind the fun: let’s pull on odd socks to show we’re ALL unique and different, and let’s be kind to each other and respect each other’s individuality. All you have to do to join in the day is wear odd socks on Monday 14. Schools who want to join in can get a pack with flyers, poster, handouts, assembly/lesson plan and Andy and the Odd Socks song. There is also a schools competition to win a visit from the group. Go to anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/antibullying-week for details.

Friday 18 is Friendship Friday when children can learn about positive friendships. The website has loads of ideas of ways for children to challenge bullying, learn about positive friendships and reach out for help. With a ‘Guide to Friendship’ and free activities.

There are also resources to help parents and carers to help if their child is being bullied including a Live Q&A on Tuesday 15. Go to Kidscape’s Facebook page at 8pm with your questions, or just sit and listen to a panel of experts. There are also tips on dealing with bullying and a free downloadable pack for parents and carers as well as teaching resources for the week and themed assemblies focusing on the activities we can all take to reach out and stop bullying.

Raise a reader

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS have started a three year campaign to bring schools, booksellers, local communities, parents, librarians, literacy partners and reading experts together to unite in a shared mission to raise readers. They want to help provide children and young people with the tools and opportunities to become lifelong readers in the wake of the pandemic.

In a recent survey despite most parents and carers saying they enjoy reading with their children and recognise the benefit to their own wellbeing more than four in ten parents said they find it difficult to get their child to concentrate; 3 in 10 say that reading with their child is a challenge; nearly a quarter say screen time and gadgets get in the way of reading.

The campaign aims to support every family on their reading journey, no matter what stage they are at. The mission is to make it as much fun as possible for parents and children to kickstart new reading habits and get stuck into some spectacular new stories together at home. Go to: home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/raise-a-reader/ for more details and a free parent support pack with tips and goodies that can be shared at home.

OUP will be taking Raise a Reader to the communities, with a tour in November, visiting ten locations across England with lower levels of literacy. The reading roadshow will invite parents and children to visit a bespoke Raise a Reader campervan, packed full of free books, engaging activities, and reading resources.

The tour will offer parents advice and resources helping break down the barriers to reading for pleasure, and the campervan will tour through cities visiting schools and stopping off to support libraries and bookshops. Oxford authors and illustrators will join the tour at each stop. OUP will also provide support via a free downloadable digital toolkit.