A Brilliant Week of Languages and Unity
This week included European Languages Day, but we decided, “why stop there?”, and so took it as an opportunity as a school to celebrate all languages as part of our inclusive community. Mrs Bullock, Head of Languages, and Mrs Treadway, School Secretary and British Sign Language (BSL) teacher, put together a fabulous demonstration for our Key Stage 2 School Meeting with presentations from eight pupils. The pupils spoke and signed in a range of languages, teaching others some favourite phrases.
It was then time for us to play ‘The Masked Linguists’; a series of staff speaking in different languages with their identities obscured by a giant emoji head. The pupils delighted in trying to work out the staff behind the masks, and those who took part came from all parts of school life. There was Mrs Nesteriuc, one of the school cleaners speaking Romanian, Mrs Crothers from the Year 2 Team speaking Turkish, Mrs Ombok, Head of Year 4 speaking Swahili, Head Chef Mr Lucchini speaking Italian and Mrs Peacock, one of our Librarians speaking French Canadian, to name but a few. You can watch a few of our staff members linked here. At lunch time that day, you could hear across the playground pupils teaching each other the languages spoken at home. It was a truly celebratory and multicultural moment.
This week was also the turn of Brimley House to lead an assembly with children from Year 1 to Year 6 taking part. Their theme was community and how to contribute positively to the communities you are part of, such as school, your family and your town. The assembly culminated in a poem recited by the children.
“Brimley House, we learn to share,
Helping friends and showing care.
At our school, we work as one,
Brave and bold till the day is done.
In our town, we all belong,
Kindness makes the whole world strong.”
Brimley House are fundraising for SNAP, a charity that supports children and families facing challenges across Essex. As a school we work with SNAP and they have attended previous parent support groups that we host each term. To celebrate our individuality, today we have all come into school in our most comfy or favourite shoes, adding a bit of extra personality to our uniform.
As we know music can be a way to unite us and this week and next, children in Year 6, under the guidance of our Director of Music Mrs Romhany, are teaching Years 3 to 5 the signing to go along with the song ‘Music is Magic’. This is the key song that the Music Man Project community sings. The Music Man Project, in their own words, teaches children and adults with learning disabilities to sing, sign and play original music and arrangements and perform in the most prestigious venues across the UK and the world.
We have certainly been enjoying the diversity within our community and society.
Have a lovely weekend,
Alice Goodfellow
