We finished our week by celebrating some of the fantastic learning that has taken place across Crew White!

Each member of our Crew chose a piece of learning from the week that they felt particularly proud of. We then took part in a gallery walk, giving everyone the chance to look carefully at each other’s work and celebrate the effort, care and determination that had gone into it.

Afterwards, we voted for the Crew members who we felt had really worked hard to produce something they could be proud of.

A huge well done to Harrison and Emelia, who were our Fantastic Friday winners this week and had special postcards sent home to celebrate their efforts.

A great way to finish the week and recognise what it means to work hard and get smart!

As part of Mindful Monday this week, Crew White explored what it means to be a Change Maker and how we can make a positive difference to our school community.

We discussed the qualities that make a strong Change Maker, including being a good listener, showing courage, representing the views of others and being willing to take action rather than simply waiting for somebody else to make things better.

The children were then given the opportunity to apply for the role. Some children began their applications in school, while others chose to take an application home to complete for homework, giving them more time to think carefully about what they could bring to the role.

For those children who chose not to apply, they took on the important role of evaluating their school currently and making suitable suggestions for improvement.

Who will be Crew White’s Change Makers?

Crew White took on the Tough Runner challenge, putting their determination and resilience to the test. The aim wasn’t simply to be the fastest: it was about pushing ourselves, keeping going when we felt tired and encouraging our Crew mates along the way.

There were moments when stopping would have been the easier choice, but the children showed what it means to persevere. We saw plenty of encouragement, positive words and children helping each other to keep moving.

A brilliant reminder that we will all face challenges this year. We might not reach the finish line at the same time, but as Crew, we can help everyone keep going. 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

After taking on our climbing apparatus challenge, Crew White took time to recognise the people who had helped them along the way.

Each child was given a mountain coin to award to a Crew mate who had genuinely supported them during the challenge. The important rule was that this wasn’t about choosing our friends. Instead, children reflected on who had encouraged them, helped them overcome a fear, offered advice or simply stayed alongside them when something felt difficult.

It was a lovely opportunity to notice the small acts of support that make a big difference and reinforce an important message for our year ahead:

How can we help everyone reach the top of the mountain? Just ask Crew White! 🏔️

Crew White put their teamwork skills to the test with the Spaghetti and Marshmallow Challenge. Working in small groups, the children were given a simple collection of materials – spaghetti, 1m of masking tape and a marshmallow. Their challenge? To build the tallest freestanding structure could that could hold one marshmallow.

It wasn’t as easy as it looked! There were collapsing towers, changing plans and plenty of problems to solve along the way. The challenge gave us a great opportunity to think about what it really means to be Crew: listening to everyone’s ideas, communicating clearly, persevering when things go wrong and making sure nobody becomes a passenger.

We learned that the first idea isn’t always the best one and that sometimes, when the learning gets tough, taking a breather can really help. We had to adapt, learn from our mistakes and try again – an important lesson as we begin Year 6.

What better way to begin a new year than by facing a challenge together?

Today, Crew White took on the climbing apparatus, challenging themselves to travel across, over and under obstacles, balance at different heights and find their own routes through the course. For some, the biggest challenge was physical. For others, it was finding the courage to try something that initially felt uncomfortable or frightening. We saw children overcome fears, take sensible risks and discover that they were capable of more than they first thought.

Most importantly, nobody climbed alone. Crew mates encouraged one another, offered advice, celebrated successes and supported those who needed a little more confidence.

It was a fitting way to begin our Year 6 journey and explore our question:

How can we help everyone reach the top of the mountain?

There will be plenty of different ‘mountains’ to climb this year. Today reminded us that reaching the top isn’t just about our own success; being Crew means helping others get there too.

Well done Crew White!