LETS CONNECT 2023
Let’s Connect!' Community day at Fairlight!
You may have seen that ITV has recently launched a mental wellness campaign (based on studies with the NHS) called, “Let’s get Britain talking - a different kind of homework.”
The aim is to encourage adults to connect and improve the quality of mental health and well-being among children.
Therefore, Fairlight hosted ‘Let’s Connect!’ Community day to do just this!
‘Let’s Connect!’ was about encouraging our children to make healthy, rewarding and meaningful connections across the school.
We asked everyone to come in and, ‘Dress to Express!’.
This meant that everyone could come in dressed in whatever they wanted; it was an opportunity for self-expression.
The morning kicked off in style with pupils, parents and staff who participated in ‘Wake ‘n’ Shake!’ in the playground.
Luckily, the weather was on our side, which meant we could bust out our best (some might say worst!) dance moves.
The day itself involved a variety of exciting and enriching experiences for our pupils to enjoy.
There were a whole host of activities such as:
- Forest School (fire lighting and making ash cakes);
- photography (looking at creative forced perspectives);
- cooking fruit crumbles;
- pin badge making;
- mad science experiments;
- drama;
- manga drawing;
- nature collages;
- playground games;
- pebble pets and stone homes;
- board games
- boom wackers and bells!
We even got the chance for the whole school to share playtime together – something we have never done before.
A great day was had by all and we were exhausted from all the learning and fun we had!
Feedback from the day has been compiled from pupils, parents and staff and is below.
FEEDBACK FROM LET'S CONNECT 2023
PUPIL FEEDBACK
I loved Let's Connect Day because we didn't have to do any school work and it was fun. It was amazing to go to different classes and to meet new teachers who might teach us when we're older in year 4, 5 or 6. It was also really nice to see teachers who used to teach us and it was fun to go back to our old classrooms and remember what they were like because we don't get to see the teachers we used to have anymore. I'd like to see my old teachers more. I don't have a favourite activity they were all the best! I think we should have Let's Connect Day once a week on a Friday!
Everything was amazing and so much fun.
I liked that everyone was included, no one was left out and everyone was really kind to each other.
Everybody was happy and it was cool to make new friends.
I liked that we could wear what we wanted with no judgement. When else would I get to wear my kimono without being judged?
We got to see some of our favourite teachers and meet new ones.
It felt like fun learning and like we were on our holidays.
We all did something new and learnt new skills. Something we've never done before and this made it exciting.
I loved it. Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. The fun just accelerated the more the day went on.
I thought it was brilliant getting to go in the other classrooms - that was super cool.
I liked meeting other teachers and other adults that I wouldn't normally see.
Everybody and I mean, everybody was happy and smiling. It just felt like we could be free. Be ourselves.
I'd say all the activities were best in my opinion, because I never get to do anything like that ever - at home, at school or in clubs.
PARENT FEEDBACK
All I can say is what a brilliant day yesterday was. All the children loved it and CHILD A told me that he liked how all year groups got together to play at break time. The music (wake and shake) first thing in the morning was such a great idea too. You should carry on with that every morning - I noticed how everyone was happy/laughing. You can’t beat that first thing in the morning!
My year 4 son had the best day ever and came out buzzing, insisting on making more "rock friends" at home. My Reception son was singing "I like to move it move it" all evening! What a great day!
I wanted to get in touch to say that everyone did amazingly yesterday!!! It sounded like the kids had the best time so thank you.
Hello, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone involved with Let’s Connect day yesterday.Our son absolutely loved it, and came home buzzing with all the things he learned (from perspective in photography to how to light matches!) He really enjoyed spending time with different teachers, and all sharing something they’re passionate about. He couldn’t wait to tell us all what he’d learned. Thank you for managing to do this despite all the different pressures you’re under as a school. If only this could all be in the national curriculum! Thanks again.
Hi Office, Hope you all had a lovely half term!
Just to say thankyou to those that organised Let's Connect Day: (Child A) really enjoyed it. He has chatted non stop about it! All the best,
I understand that you were the instigator of the wonderful day the school held yesterday. I just wanted to say a huge congratulations - I have heard so much positive feedback from children and parents about how amazing it was. So a big well done to the entire staff team.
I know my kids really enjoyed the structure of the day, the fact that everyone in the school were involved, moving around from classroom to classroom, meeting new teachers. It seems to have been a wonderfully bonding day for everyone.
The kids loved it - I think it's great to give the kids occasional days like this to really look forward to and enjoy, makes the whole experience of school more positive
She loved the idea of dressing to express herself,
What a fantastic event. I don’t think I have ever seen my children come home quite so excited about their day.
My son talked about the activities he had enjoyed all evening! He was very animated and excited when he talked about the Forest School, he spoke about it being a surprise having a fire and how they had to pretend to be in a forest. He loved it. He said he wanted to thank the teacher. He also liked the nature collage and badge making activities
I think its really great having days like this within the term that breaks up the regular routine they have every day, by being excited it helps them engage more and retain more about the day and its message 2. I really liked that the younger kids got to go to the older children's classrooms, my son really enjoyed this and think he feels less intimidated by the big kids. 3. Sending a message around individuality and what makes you unique is a really lovely and important message i would like my children to carry with them, not iust accepting and loving their own uniqueness but accepting and appreciating others.
Both kids absolutely loved it, it was their favourite ever school day. They both told me lots about their day which is completely unheard of. Child 1 said she liked the forest school and cooking, Child 2 liked the music and painting a pebble. Thank you!
Both children came away from school having loved their days! They had only positive experiences and especially our year 2 child really loved having a break from ‘normal’ learning. What a brilliant idea this was!
Child A had the most amazing day. Loved every activity and came home having loved every bit of it and hoping for another day like it.
Both my girls loved the whole day with everything it involved, activities, dressing to express etc.
Absolutely amazing watching all the children and teachers have fun in the morning at drop off
Child A came back really animated about the day and enjoyed moving around to different teachers and around the school. He enjoyed the activities especially doing the fire outside - that was his favourite.
Thank you so much for telling us about this. To fill out this survey, we’ve just got more information out of Child A about a school day than we have about his school life to date. He lit up each time we named an activity he did and clearly loved it! Thank you!
My son was so happy amd excited leaving school that day. He had an amazing time - especially cooking (burning) cookies on a camp fire
Both girls were very excited about the day and enjoyed all different activities
He absolutely loved all the activities, cooking a berry crumble, the forest school and learning to make badges, he came out so happy at the end of the school day and he talked about all the activities that he took part in for days.
It seems like a great thing to do. I’m glad Fairlight takes the he children’s well-being and happiness seriously. My year 3 child loved the day. My reception child liked wearing his own clothes and hearing music in the playground.
My son obviously enjoyed the day enormously.
STAFF FEEDBACK
Let’s connect day was a fantastic idea. I felt it brought everyone together. The children bonded well with all the teachers and were very excited in moving freely around the school to their new activity. All the activities were brilliant. Such great variety from cooking to photography to fantastic science experiments.
it was good but made me nervous and exhausted at the end! Was so glad we had some money and time to and staff meeting to decide!
It was hard to come out of routine but it was lovely to see and work with the other children. It'd be nice to do regularly be that yearly or bi annually.
It was such a brilliant day - children were so excited and engaged. This fits with the Speech and Language strategy of "No Pens Wednesday", a day where there is only verbal interaction. During the day, the level of language that the children offered and experienced was amazing, not to mention all that fantastic listening/understanding skills. We should do this more often - annually would be great!
The children enjoyed a brilliant day and had an absolute blast! It was great to be off timetable for the day, to get to know children from other classes and to see everyone enjoying themselves.
It was such a lovely day and went so smoothly. It was so successful and the children that we thought might struggled actually thrived!
For me, I thought it was really good idea, for children to experience different activities and meet different teachers. They loved it, so in all, it was a good day.
I absolutely loved it! I'm not going to lie, I wasn't looking forward to it that much but I can't believe how fun it was. I saw so many different sides to children that I have never seen before.
No one missed phonics, literacy or maths or reading or science that day! Says it all!
We would love to get some feedback from parents about Lets Connect.