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!