Keep Out!

On Blue Friday, at the end of our anti-bullying weeks, we decided to write messages to the bullies who had ruined our writing area. The children were very keen to express their anger, and children from all classes wrote messages to the bullies at playtime.

Some were short and to the point, 'keep out' and 'go away' and others were a bit more personal. One Year 6 child wrote 'I am really upset by what you did. I used to take my buddy into the area, and she is only little and doesn't understand why anyone would do this!'

We all hope that the people who did this don't come back, and it was really great to read some of the comments left under the Daily Echo article on their website. When the Year 6 children read them they wanted to write their own letters to the Echo. Here is an example of one of them...

To the Editor

This is a letter to tell you how I feel about what happened to writing area.

My heart feels like a black hole sucking in every piece of good in the world. Redbridge is a very good school, I don’t understand why anyone would be so cold and heartless. I’ve heard and seen a few sick things in the world but this is a job for a devil. Me and my friends at Redbridge Primary School have never felt so sad. I hope they end up locked in a dark, cold cage. One day they will rot and if they return they will be in a lot of trouble.

They think there so hard picking on a school for kids but have we given up, no, and these people are going to get caught and locked up if I ever see these people again. They feel no guilt, the only achievement they’ve earned is getting themselves a ticket to jail. These people are nothing but weak, spineless fools. If they are so tough they wouldn’t come back at all, so all hope they will never they will not show they there faces here again.

Yours Sincerely

Jordan Aged 11

We have also had some very kind offers from parents to help mend the benches, and from a local company who read about what had happened and wanted to help. They have really helped to cheer us all up.

Miss Proctor

Spoiling our fun!

On Monday Morning, the writing area was cetainly generating a lot of discussion, but unfortunately, for the wrong reasons. During the weekend, some destructive individuals had decided to destroy as much of the area as they could... smashing all our plant pots, breaking our benches and ripping the children's work off the tree and fences! It's nice to see how the community shows their appreciation for all our hard work!

One boy just asked me, "Why?" and it was very hard to answer him. Here are just a few comments the children made...
"Why would anyone do that?"
"Why did they want to spoil it?"
"It's really unfair!"
"What can we do now?"
"They should be ashamed!"
"They wouldn't like it if we went into their gardens and spoiled them!"
And one comment already thinking ahead to the future... "Are we going to do some more fund-raising now?"

We will, of course, do what we can to make the area special again, but it will take some time, and after seeing such willful destruction, it will never feel completely the same.

Miss Proctor

Update from 25th November.

The Southern Daily Echo also covered this story.

A 'magical' writing display!

Following our 'magical' writing day, we have displayed a selection of work from Year R to Year 6 in our school hall. Everyone has had a chance to read some of the 'magical' writing the children, and adults, produced. We all agreed that it was an exciting day, where we all had fun with our writing.

We are all looking forward to our next 'special' writing day.... Any ideas?
Miss Proctor

Magical Writing Day!

We all had a very 'magical' writing day on Friday 24th October. We decided to link our everybody writes day with something that all of the children enjoy... magic! To make it that extra bit special the children were asked to wear a 'magical' costume to school.

The day started with a special assembly, with some'real' magic, and then lots of different writing activities took place in all the classrooms from Year R to Year 6. In Year 2 the children were very keen to write their own magic spells!

Strange spells were written in some classrooms, monsters created in others, and everything from poetry, wands with magical powers and magic fingers, took place around the school.

At lunchtime, the children found some 'magical' resources in the everybody writes area, and it was great to see so many children choosing to write at lunchtime, as well as through the whole day. As one teacher said, "Some children didn't notice that they'd been doing writing activities all day!"

At the end of the day, some classes shared what they had done, and they were all desperate to read what they'd created.

One Year 6 boy told me that he..."Thought it was going to be a bit boring, because it was just writing, but it's been really exciting!" They certainly enjoyed writing their magical spell poems, and were proud to show them off.

We will be displaying a selection of the writing from all the classes, in our school hall, so that everyone can enjoy it. As one child said... "I want to do more. It doesn't feel like we've been writing all day!"

Miss Proctor

Still writing!

The 'Everybody writes' area is still being used by lots of children. Two girls were so engrossed in what they were writing that they didn't even notice me ... I was about to remind them to sit on the bench, not the table... but it seemed a shame to disturb them!!

We are still using the area for sentence work, when the weather allows us to! I like the way the children concentrate on their writing, oblivious to everyone around them.And some of us just enjoy watching others write!

Everyone is getting very excited about our 'magical' writing day on Friday. Lots of teachers have been experimenting with lemon juice and invisible writing, and all the children are thinking about the magical costume they are going to wear. They are very interested to know what kind of 'magical' writing they will be doing. I think that Thursday evening will be a very busy one in school, as everyone gathers all the 'special' resources needed for the day!

Miss Proctor

Autumn sunshine!

We are all making the most of the Autumn sunshine at the moment. Today, Year two were really feeling Autumnal during sentence time, writing sentences beginning 'In the Autumn...' whilst the tree gently shed its leaves over them.

Many of the sentences seemed to be about the key event of Autumn for them... Halloween. Which gives me an idea for our fast approaching Everybody writes day....

After attending a great writing course with Pie Corbett last week, the children have really enjoyed using all those pens and pads provided by the Holiday Inn. So not only some great ideas, but free resources too! Every time I put something different in the box, there is a surge of children into the area. (There's always a few trying to make paper aeroplanes though!)

Miss Proctor

Everybody's writing!

Lots of children were enjoying the Autumn sunshine today. It's amazing the interest in the area every time I put something different into the writing box. Today it was postcards, but the heart shaped post-it notes have been the most popular. Perhaps that's why the area was being used for a slightly more romantic purpose the other day!! (By the children, not the staff!)

The chalk board still remains popular with children young and old, and so far, all of the plants have survived! The new benches from B&Q have also been very popular. I even saw one boy having a relaxing lie-down on one of them... perhaps worn out from too much writing!

Miss Proctor

Planting and building!

We've nearly finished working on our Everybody writes area. On Friday, three lovely benches were delivered from B&Q, and Rachel has said that they will be sending us some more in the next few weeks! The writing area is becoming the most well-resourced part of the playground.

Today, Year 2 helped Tony (our ex-caretaker and ex-LSA) to plant all the fragrant plants that B&Q have given us. I know that Tony likes gardening, but I think he prefers it in the peace and quiet of his own home! We all enjoyed getting our hands dirty! And all of the plants survived!

Then we 'helped' Tony assemble the benches! There is going to be some jostling to sit on the 'special' benches tomorrow.

Miss Proctor

Outside lessons!

Everyone in Year 2 enjoyed their sentence work today, because it was outside in the sunshine!

After writing sentences starting with, 'At the weekend...' they then shared their work with each other. Some of them had had a very busy weekend!

They definitely wanted to write more than usual, because writing outside "feels different!"

Miss Proctor

Writing in the sunshine!

Now that the sun has started to shine, the children are really beginning to make use of the writing area.
Play leaders have been given the responsibility to look after the area, which has really helped, as the children sometimes forget to tidy up, and pencils and paper are left scattered around! Some children just seem to enjoy watching other children write!

We are still waiting expectantly for the delivery from B&Q, so hopefully it will be this week.

Miss Proctor

Pots and Plants!

We had visitors from B&Q today, with the first part of their delivery, lots of pots and plants. At the moment the area is quite minimalist, and it will be great to add a little plant life back in it again.

My class were all very excited and wanted to touch and smell everything, and are looking forward to getting their hands dirty!

Hopefully, some benches from B&Q will be delivered next week, which will mean that whole classes will be able to work comfortably in the area. All we need now is for it to stop raining, so that everyone can enjoy the area before the winter!
Miss Proctor

Shocked children!

After the news in assembly today, the children rushed into the writing area to see what damage had been done. They couldn't believe that anyone would want to spoil it! Many of them went to check that their hand was still on the tree, and were quite upset to find it missing!

Some children were still finding bits of ruined work on the ground, and were giving it to me to mend. All of them want to make the area 'special' again, to let the vandals know that they can't beat us!

Miss Proctor

The new term!

It was a little bit disappointing to find out that the area had been used in the holiday, but not in the way we expected! Lots of the things that the children had made had been ripped down or broken. Luckily, we had put all the benches away, as an older bench in the playground had some rather unpleasant writing on it! That is definitely not the sort of writing we want! It is such a shame when all our efforts are spoiled by the thoughtless few. I know the children will be very disappointed when they come in on Thursday. We will, of course, think of things we can do to make the area special again.

Miss Proctor

Writing on clothes!!!

The last day of term meant that everybody was writing... but on the Year 6 children's clothes!! It's amazing how many children want to write on a sweatshirt or a T-shirt... perhaps an idea for the next Everybody writes day?

It really was very busy all playtime and lunchtime!

At the end of the day, the writing area was used for a different purpose... to celebrate the end of another busy, eventful year. It was great to be sitting in the area that we all helped to create. Hopefully, we'll continue to develop the area next year, and use it for some outdoor writing lessons.

Thanks to all the children and adults that helped to make Everybody writes and art week really special! Don't forget to add any ideas for next year, to the blog.

Miss Proctor

Business is booming!

Sunny days have meant that everybody is crowding into the Everbody writes area. There is, of course, lots of talking as well as writing, but it's really great to see the older children spending time with some of the younger ones.

When children see me with the camera now they ask me, " Are you going to put my photo on the blog?" Everbody wants their moment of fame!

I talked to Rachel from B&Q today, and she says that they've placed an order for some benches, which will arrive in September. So, that will be a great start to the new school year, and hopefully we'll have a late summer, and will be able to use the Everbody writes area throughout the Autumn term. It looks like we might be have longer than a year at our current site, so we will really be able to develop the writing area, in lots of different ways, next academic year! We have added some 'mirrors' to the area, as suggested by one of our parents, and we would welcome any other good ideas!

Miss Proctor

Before writing comes talking!

The Everybody writes area is beginning to be used for lots of other things, not just writing at playtimes and lunchtimes. Today Blue class had their Fruit time in the area, and spent the time chatting as well as munching. And, as we all realise, unless the children can talk fluently, they will never be able to write well.

Other classes have already used it for storytime, and for quiet reading. I'm sure that we will be using it for so much more over the following year.

Miss Proctor