It feels like this half term has absolutely flown by! There have been so many exciting activities, events and learning experiences packed into these past few weeks at The Hub. Our Hubsters and teachers have worked tirelessly to pack in as many impactful learning experiences as possible before the much-anticipated Christmas holidays. We wanted to share a quick recap of some of the highlights from this half term. It’s been wonderful to see all of our children engage in new opportunities, develop new skills and build new friendships during this time. I hope this half term newsletter provides a glimpse into the vibrant learning environment we strive to cultivate here.
Remembrance week
The Hubsters worked tirelessly on a beautiful Poppy Soldier silhouette. They took some time for reflection and learned about the importance of Remembrance Day and the significance of the poppies. We think it is a lovely tribute to those who work in the armed forces and those we remember. Every child contributed and proved how teamwork and working alongside others can provide stunning results.
Anti-bullying week
During this week the Hubsters have had lots of discussions about the different types of bullying. All children were given a scenario to discuss and they contributed, showed empathy, related and gave opinions on different scenarios. They also had a group discussion on the difference between ‘banter’ and ‘bullying’ and we even got creative by designing our own ‘bantometres’ showing when banter can turn to bullying.
National Giving week
As part of ‘National Giving Week’ we chose to donate to the local food bank. Before going to the supermarket, the Hubsters discussed what food they could get with their money…they had £1 each! This exercise not only taught us about budgeting and making wise choices, but also showed us how far a small amount of money can go and help those in need.
Pizza Making Day
The Hubsters had an absolute blast making wood-fired pizzas to raise money. Our children are amazing cooks and couldn’t wait to deliver them to local businesses. It was a huge success and we raised a total of £130 towards new provisions to support their needs and learning.
Christmas week
It’s been a fun filled couple of weeks in the build up to Christmas with lots of festive activities to get us all in the Christmas spirit! The Hubsters have enjoyed lots of joyful team games, quizzes and searching for Christmas hidden riddles around the Hub. We’ve had our very own Santa’s workshop making Homemade soap gifts and wrapping them. Some of our children have showcased their creativity this Christmas including a ‘Crepe Café’, where a menu was created, orders taken and delicious crepes made and sold. Another amazing design was a Yorkshire tea advent calendar. Definitely a best seller for any tea lover this Christmas! Some reindeer dust was made by one of our students, which has added an extra sprinkle of magic to the Hub.
Thrive
Here at the Hub we implement the Thrive Approach in our daily practice. Each day we have a Group Thrive Session to bring everyone together so different activities can take place and it allows students to have some time to relax, use their social skills and improve self-confidence and tolerance. Some of the activities which our Hubsters loved included the ‘Smell Test’ where each person had to guess the scent while blindfolded, we celebrated ‘World Teacher Day’ and the students explained how their teachers have helped and supported them and we created a ‘Kind School Pledge’ and listened to each other’s thoughts and ideas. We’ve also loved celebrating ‘British Sign Language Day’, making dream catchers, celebrating World Food week and creating a ‘Come Dine with me’ menu.
