This year our World Book Day had a Dr Seuss theme – a cat in the hat inspired crazy hat! Boy did the children deliver!! We had everything from gardens to space helmets and minions to globes – the children’s hats absolutely blew our socks off! 👒🎩
In crew this morning, Y2 created their very own crew murals inspired by their favourite books. We took time thinking of a way to represent our favourite books, drawing them and then sticking them all together to create our collaborative artwork.
We also spent some time with The Cat in the Hat himself this morning – we watched the story and then had a go at drawing our very own Cat in the Hats. What a great day!!!
Over the last few weeks in our “Wise Wednesday” crew sessions, Crew Hamilton have been thinking all about our mental health and having a positive mental attitude. This morning we spent our crew session filling each other’s cups with compliments. Some highlights included:
“You work really hard”
“You are very funny”
“You always help people”
“You show courage”
“You are caring, helpful and kind”
It was lovely to see all the amazing things that the children had noticed in each other.
There are moments in school life that remind us why community matters so much.
This week, our Community Meeting was one of those moments.
We gathered together to share the beautiful and thought-provoking picture book The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig. It’s a gentle but powerful story about Brian, a quiet boy who often feels unseen by his classmates. Through simple illustrations and subtle storytelling, we watch how small acts of kindness begin to bring colour into his world — quite literally.
Why This Story?
In our setting, we place huge value on belonging. Before children can truly thrive academically, they must feel safe, valued and visible. The Invisible Boy gave us a shared language to explore:
What does it feel like to be left out?
How do small actions make a big difference?
What does kindness look like in practice?
How can we notice those who might feel “invisible”?
The story created a calm, reflective atmosphere. You could have heard a pin drop.
Respectful Conversations in Action
What made the meeting so powerful wasn’t just the story — it was the discussion that followed.
Children spoke with honesty and empathy. They listened carefully to one another. They disagreed thoughtfully. They built on each other’s ideas.
At one point, as we reflected on how Brian was treated, a child confidently said:
“Well that wouldn’t happen at our school.”
Another child added simply:
“They aren’t being kind.”
Sometimes the clearest insights are the most powerful. The children recognised unkindness immediately. They were able to name it. They understood it.
Some children reflected on times they had felt invisible. Others spoke about moments when someone had made them feel included. Many identified simple actions they could take — inviting someone to join a game, noticing who is alone at lunchtime, using kind words.
From Words to Action
Stories give us a mirror and a window — a mirror to see ourselves, and a window to understand others. This Community Meeting reminded us that creating a culture of belonging is not about grand gestures. It is about noticing. Inviting. Including.
If we want every child to feel seen, it starts with each of us.
A smile. A kind word. An invitation.
Sometimes the smallest actions bring the brightest colour.
This week, we came together for a special community meeting to mark Children’s Mental Health Week, an annual awareness week launched by the children’s mental health charity Place2Be. Celebrated every February since 2015, the week exists to empower, equip and give a voice to all children and young people across the UK.
Children’s Mental Health Week 2026 takes place from 9–15 February, and this year’s theme is “This Is My Place.”
The theme highlights how important a sense of belonging is for our mental health and wellbeing. Feeling that we have a place — in our friendships, in school, and in our wider community — is a basic human need. When we talked about where our place is, many of us shared that it was our home, our school and our classrooms, and it was lovely to recognise that we have so many different places where we feel safe, valued and able to belong.
When children feel that they belong, it supports their emotional wellbeing, helps them to feel confident and valued, and empowers them to contribute positively to the world around them. To know our place and really feel part of our environment can have powerful and long-lasting impacts on our mental and physical health, education and relationships.
This year, Children’s Mental Health Week encourages peers, families, schools and communities to work together to create inclusive and nurturing environments, where every child can truly say, “This is my place.”
During our community meeting, we shared a story about a small yellow bird named Sunny, who was learning to sing. Sunny flew to the playground but felt too shy to join in when other birds were busy playing and laughing. Feeling small and unsure, Sunny sat quietly on a branch. A kind squirrel named Mira noticed Sunny sitting alone, came to sit alongside them, and gently listened to one small chirp. Mira invited Sunny to join others — a robin and a rabbit — and helped Sunny learn just one new note. The next day, Sunny sang a little louder, simply because someone had said hello.
The story gave us a powerful reminder of how small acts of kindness and inclusion can make a big difference.
We then spent time working in pairs, introducing ourselves to someone new and sharing our interests, as well as something we liked about each other. These moments of connection helped reinforce the message that everyone belongs and that our differences are something to celebrate.
To end our meeting, we sang “This Is Me” together — a beautiful and uplifting moment that perfectly captured the spirit of the week.
As a community, we also made a simple pledge. This week, everyone will try at least one of the following:
Say hello to someone you don’t usually talk to
Share a toy, crayon, or turn in a game
Invite someone to join your group
We are proud of the way our children listened, reflected and supported one another. By making small, thoughtful choices each day, we can all help to create a place where everyone feels welcome, valued and able to say, “This is my place.” 💛
What an amazing day we had at our KS1 Sponsored Dance-a-thon on Friday 30th January! The children brought the energy, the smiles and some seriously impressive dance moves — and we are so proud of every single one of them.
Thanks to your incredible generosity and support, we are thrilled to share that we have raised an incredible £1,060… and counting! 🤩 This fantastic total will go directly towards the cost of producing the children’s very own KS1 Doncaster Board Games, helping us keep the final cost as low as possible for everyone. We are also continuing to work with sponsors and supporters to make this project even bigger and better.
💃 How did we dance the day away?
We kicked off the morning in style with a high-energy Zumba session in the hall, led by Mrs Ponsonby and Mrs Murray, which certainly got hearts pumping and feet moving!
Throughout the day, each class took part in a range of fun, creative dance activities, including:
🧊 Ice Dancing and 🎲 DiceDancing games in the classroom
🖐️ Fingerdancing to explore movement through different music styles
✏️ Pencildancing, where children drew how the music made them feel
🤸 A dance–themed PE lesson to finish the structured part of the day
🎉 And of course… partydancesduringGoldenTime to end on a high!
Children took turns dancing so that everycrew was represented throughout the day, showing teamwork, resilience and lots of encouragement for one another. We were also lucky to have some grown ups join in the fun, adding to the excitement and buzz around school.
🎲 Why it matters
All the money raised will support our KS1DoncasterBoardGame Project, where children are designing and creating their own board game inspired by locallandmarks. The final game will be professionally produced so that all KS1 children can enjoy playing it — a brilliant example of learning, creativity and community coming together.
💛 Thank you
A huge thank you to all our families for your sponsorship, encouragement and enthusiasm. Every single contribution is helping to bring the children’s ideas to life — and days like this remind us just how powerful learning can be when it’s joyful, active and shared.
🏰Today we put our problem solving brains to the test as we worked in teams to take part in a maths escape room. We had to complete all the different missions to reveal the magic spell and free our school from the dragon! 🐉
This week Crew Hamilton got out and about in the school grounds. We followed arrows on the floor, stoped at crosses and counted our steps to find a range of letters that we needed to unscramble to crack the secret code.
This morning we were delighted to welcome so many of our grown-ups into school to join us for a games morning. The children loved sharing their favourite board games, explaining the rules and, most importantly, playing together with friends and family. There was lots of laughter, teamwork and friendly competition – a really joyful atmosphere to end a busy and exciting week.
As well as being great fun, the morning also helped us begin important conversations about togetherness, fairness and belonging. Playing games gave the children opportunities to take turns, listen to others, negotiate rules and support one another – all skills that link beautifully to our new expedition.
Our guiding question for this expedition is:
“Diverse Doncaster – Where do I belong?”
Over the coming weeks, the children will be exploring what makes Doncaster special, the many different people and communities who live here, and how we all belong in our own unique ways. The games morning was a lovely starting point, showing how shared activities can bring people together and help us feel connected.
As the expedition develops, the children will be working towards a final product that celebrates Doncaster, our community and our sense of belonging. We can’t wait to share more details as their ideas and learning grow.
Thank you so much to all the adults who joined us this morning – your support really does make experiences like this extra special. It was the perfect way to round off Hook Week and launch us into an exciting new learning journey together.
This afternoon KS1 had a very exciting visit with a very special expert – a professional game designer and creator – who shared their fascinating world of board games with our students.
During the visit, expanded on their hook week knowledge and the children learned about the materials that go into making a board game, from the colorful cards to the intricate game boards and even the tiny tokens that make playing so much fun. Our guest also explained the step-by-step process of creating a board game, from the initial idea and design to the final product.
It was an inspiring visit that encouraged our students to think creatively, work collaboratively, and see the exciting possibilities in designing and playing games. We are definitely very excited to get stuck in with our product now!!
Today, our Year 2 children launched their new expedition, with an exciting, hands-on science afternoon.
We began with a story called The Little House Made of Everything, which helped children think about the different materials used in buildings and everyday objects. As we explored the house together, children discussed why walls are made from brick, why windows are made from glass, and what might happen if a house was made from just one material.
The children then took part in a Feel and Describe activity, where they explored a range of everyday materials including wood, plastic, metal, glass, rock and card. Using their sense of touch, they described how each material felt, using words such as hard, soft, smooth and rough.
Another activity challenged children to find out whether materials could change shape. They tested materials by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching them, and talked about which materials changed easily and which stayed the same.
One of the highlights was our Build a Job challenge. Children looked at real-life photos of houses, bridges, chairs and windows and decided which material would be best for each job. They shared their ideas confidently, explaining their choices using scientific language and clear reasoning.
To finish the afternoon, children explored their own classroom, identifying objects and naming the materials they were made from. This helped them connect their science learning to the place where they belong every day.
It was a fantastic start to our expedition — full of curiosity, thoughtful talk and hands-on learning. We’re excited to keep building on this as we continue to explore our community and the world around us.
