This week we took part in a very meaningful Remembrance Day celebration. We spent time learning about the importance of remembering the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for us, and we worked together to remember them in many ways. One of our favourite activities was creating a poppy collage.
Today, the children in Key Stage 1 enjoyed a very special visit from St Johnâs Ambulance. Julie and Deborah from the team came in to talk about the amazing work they do in our community – helping people stay safe, teaching first aid, and supporting those in need.
The highlight of the session was learning about their much-loved mascot, Bertie Badger! The children were interested to hear how Bertie helps teach young âMini Badgers,â some as young as five years old, the basics of first aid. Through stories, activities, and fun demonstrations, the children discover how even little helpers can make a big difference.
To thank them for their visit and all they do for others, we presented Julie and Deborah with one of our special Community Champion awards recognising the respect, compassion and courage they show every day.
We learned why Remembrance Day is so important, and Keith and Dave shared stories about local heroes from Doncaster who were awarded the Victoria Cross â the highest military honour for bravery. We even got to see a real Victoria Cross medal, which was a very special moment for everyone!
Dave also told us fascinating stories from his own time in the army, helping us to understand the courage, teamwork and sacrifice shown by so many.
We were all left feeling inspired to remember and honour those who have served â and we canât wait to share some of our own Remembrance projects over the next few days.
To thank them for their visit and all they do for others, we were proud to present Keith and Dave with one of our special Community Champion awards. It was hard to choose which character traits they showed because, quite simply, they are wonderful examples of them all â courage, kindness, determination and respect.
Thank you, Keith and Dave, for reminding us what it truly means to be a hero. â€ïž
This week we were very lucky to welcome a special expert visitor â Ed Miliband! Ed came to talk to us about his job as a Member of Parliament and to share his passion for helping people and protecting our planet.
He explained what itâs like to work in government and how he represents people in our local community. The children had the chance to ask him lots of brilliant questions, from âWhat made you want to be an MP?â to âHow can we help stop climate change?â
Ed spoke about the importance of looking after our world and gave us some simple but powerful ideas about what we can all do to make a difference â like walking or cycling instead of driving, recycling properly, and reminding our families to save energy at home.
We were proud to present Ed Miliband with our Community Champion Award for showing compassion towards people and the environment. His visit reminded us that everyone, no matter how young or old, can make a positive change in their community and in the wider world.
This morning, we were very lucky to welcome more expert visitors to help us answer our guiding question:
âNot all heroes wear capes â How can I be a hero where I live?â
We were honoured to be joined by Ros Jones, the elected Mayor of Doncaster, Jackie Dudley, the Deputy Civic Mayor, and David Milnes, who is the Mace Bearer and official chauffeur to the Civic Mayor.
Our visitors spoke to us about their important roles in Doncaster and the ways they work to make a positive difference in our community. We learned all about the Mansion House â one of only a few remaining in the country â and discovered how special it is to have one right here in Doncaster!
Ros shared her CBE medal, which was incredible to see up close, and David gave us the chance to look at the official Mace, which was fascinating to learn about.
They also spoke about what inspires them in their roles and how proud they are to serve the people of Doncaster.
To say thank you for their time and the compassion they show every day towards our community, we were very proud to present them with one of our Community Champion Awards.
What an inspiring morning learning from real-life heroes who make Doncaster a better place to live!
This term, our Year 1 and Year 2 children are going on an incredible learning journey through our Autumn expedition, Not All Heroes Wear Capes, guided by the big question: How can I be a superhero where I live?
From creating their own superheroes inspired by Supertato, to marching for justice after studying Let the Children March, to meeting real-life heroes from our community, the children will explore what it truly means to show courage, compassion, and kindness.
We would love to invite you to join us for our Presentation of Learning:
You donât need to stay for the whole time â please feel free to drop in at a time thatâs convenient for you between 3:00pm and 5:00pm.
This special event will take the form of a museum-style gallery walk, where youâll be able to see:
– The childrenâs artwork and writing
– Photographs and memories from expert visitors
– Pop-art placards from our peaceful march
– Reflections, pledges, and our very own expedition book
– Introduce some of the real-life heroes they have met, who will be joining us to help demonstrate their skills
Itâs really important that the children come along too, as they will be your tour guides â explaining their learning, sharing their work, and showing off everything they have achieved.
Friends of Norton Campus Association will also be supporting us by selling refreshments during the event â so you can enjoy a drink and a treat as you explore the childrenâs fantastic work.
This is a celebration of your childrenâs hard work, character, and creativity â and a chance to see how they have discovered that not all heroes wear capes⊠sometimes they live right here in our community.
We canât wait to share this with you!
Key Stage One Crew
This morning we had a very special visitor in school. Stuart came from an organisation called Starting Point. He spoke to us about his important job supporting homeless people across Doncaster.
Stuart told us that his role is to make sure people who donât have a safe home can get the help they need. He explained that this could mean finding them a safe place to stay, helping them get food, clothing, and health care, and supporting them to make positive changes in their lives.
We asked him lots of thoughtful questions, such as:
Stuart said that one of the best parts of his job is seeing people smile again when they feel safe and supported. He told us that anyone can help by being kind, donating food or clothing, or even just raising awareness about homelessness.
We learned that there are many people involved with the work Stuart does. Together, they make a huge difference to people who might be going through very difficult times.
At the end of Stuartâs visit, we were proud to present him with one of our special Community Champion Awards. The children thought carefully about the character traits Stuart shows every day in his work. We agreed that he demonstrates compassion, respect, and integrity in all he does.
Meeting Stuart made us think about how important it is to help others in our community. We left the session inspired and ready to play our part in making Doncaster a kinder place for everyone.
This week we have been reading some stories from different cultures and looking at the deeper meaning of them. We read the story of âDuni Chand and the silver needleâ and discussed how to be kind and generous to others. We made an anchor chart to list our ideas and then we added a cup of water to a class bowl and explained what we would like to add more of to the class.Â
Weâre excited to share some amazing artwork that our Year 1 children have been working on. We have been exploring Pop Art known for using bright colours and bold shapes. We used powerful action words like “BANG!” âZOOM!â âWOW!â âBAM!â and âWHAM!âÂ
As part of our expedition, we welcomed our second hero â and we couldnât think of anyone who embodies our core values more than Ben Parkinson.
Before his visit, the children spent time researching Benâs life and his incredible achievements. This meant they came ready with knowledge, curiosity, and thoughtful questions. When Ben arrived, alongside his equally inspiring mum and dad, he shared photographs and special objects that held deep meaning to him. Listening to his story gave our children the opportunity to show real compassion and respect as they heard about his journey.
The children asked some fantastic questions, which Ben answered with honesty and humour, leaving everyone inspired. To recognise the way Ben embodies all of our schoolâs character traits, we were proud to present him with one of our Community Champion Awards.
The timing of Benâs visit was even more special because, during our first week back, we had been selecting crew names inspired by people who show strong character. One of the crews had chosen Ben Parkinson as their role model, so they were absolutely thrilled to meet him in person and have their crew photograph taken with him.
It was a truly memorable and inspiring visit, and we are so grateful to Ben and his family for sharing their time and story with us.
