Words on Wednesday

Happy Diwali

'May the brightness of Diwali fill your life with positivity and good vibes'

22nd October 2025

Diwali is a special festival that reminds us how celebrations in many different religions can bring people together and make us feel happy and connected. During Diwali, Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains all celebrate in their own ways—lighting lamps, sharing food, and spending time with loved ones. Just like Diwali, other faiths also have festivals that spread joy and kindness. At Christmas, Christians come together to share love and light; during Eid, Muslims celebrate with family, friends, and delicious food; and at Hanukkah, Jewish families light candles and enjoy special traditions. These celebrations all help us connect, give, and take notice of the good things in life, reminding us that no matter our religion, coming together with others helps our wellbeing glow bright.

Think about a celebration you enjoy with your family—maybe it’s a birthday, Christmas, Eid, Diwali, Hanukkah, or another special day. How does it make you feel? Can you link it to the five ways to wellbeing?

You connect when you spend time with people you care about.
You might be active by dancing, playing games, or helping with decorations.
You take notice of the sights, sounds, and smells that make the day feel special.
You keep learning by discovering new traditions or trying new foods.
And you give by sharing your time, kindness, or gifts with others.

Every celebration is a chance to make happy memories and help your mind and heart feel healthy and strong.

Take Notice

15th October 2025

“Take Notice” means slowing down and really paying attention to what’s happening around you and inside you.

When we take notice, we:
👀 Look carefully at the world — the colours of the sky, the shape of the trees, or the smile on a friend’s face.
👂 Listen to the sounds — birds singing, rain falling, or people chatting.
💭 Think about how we feel — happy, calm, excited, or maybe a bit worried — and notice what’s going on inside our minds.

Taking notice helps our wellbeing because it makes us feel:

💖 Calm – it gives our brains a rest from rushing around.

😊 Grateful – we start to see all the little things that make us happy.

🌼 Connected – we notice people and nature around us, which makes us feel part of something bigger.

Just like Charles Darwin, can you be a detective and be more observant of the world around you?

Your mission:
Become a Nature Detective for a week! Every day, take 5–10 minutes to slow down, look around, and notice something new in your world.

How to do it:

🌸 Look closely: Go outside (or look out your window) and spot three things you’ve never really noticed before — it could be a tiny insect, a cloud shape, or the sound of the wind.
👃 Use your senses: What can you see, hear, smell, feel, or maybe even taste (safely)? Try to use all your senses to explore your surroundings.
✏️ Record your finds: Draw or write about one thing you noticed each day.
💬 Share it: Tell a friend, classmate, or family member about something that made you smile or surprised you.

Bonus challenge:
Find a “quiet spot” where you can sit for one minute every day, just noticing what’s around you — no talking, no screens, just listening and watching like a real detective!

Keep Learning

8th October 2025

Grow Your Brain Like a Muscle! Learning new things is like giving your brain a superpower boost! Every time you try something new—whether it’s reading a fun book, asking questions, trying a puzzle, or learning how to bake—you’re helping your brain grow stronger. Even when it feels tricky, that just means your brain is working hard and getting better. So be curious, try new things, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Every day is a chance to learn something exciting, and the more you learn, the more amazing things you’ll be able to do!

Choose something new you’ve never done before and give it a try! It could be learning a word in another language, drawing a new animal, tying a new kind of knot, or asking an adult to teach you something they know.

Have a go at learning these 10 phrases in French. How many can you remember?

Connect

1st October 2025

Connecting with others is really important for our well-being because friends, family, and people around us help us feel happy and cared for. When we talk, laugh, play, or share with others, it makes us feel less lonely and more supported. Being kind and listening to someone else can make their day brighter, and it makes us feel good too. Connecting can be as simple as smiling at a classmate, asking someone how they are, or playing together at break time. These small moments help us build strong friendships and remind us that we are never alone. Have a go at the ideas in the heart this week and see how they make you feel.

Be Physically Active

17th September 2025

Being physically active is not just fun — it also helps you feel happier, stronger, and more confident! When you run, jump, dance, or play, your body releases special chemicals that can boost your mood and help you feel more relaxed and focused. Exercise is like a superpower for your brain and body! It helps you sleep better, learn better, and even get along better with friends. So whether you're playing a sport, riding your bike, or just running around the playground, you're doing something amazing for your health. As Dr. Seuss said, “You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so… get on your way!”

Set yourself a challenge this week to try and be active for at least 20 minutes a day. You can choose anything you like — running, dancing, skipping, riding your bike, playing football, or even a silly dance-off in your living room! Try something new each day if you want to make it extra fun. At the end of each day, write down or draw how being active made you feel.

Remember, every move you make is helping your body and mind grow strong and happy!
Are you up for the challenge? Let’s get moving!

Wellbeing

10th September 2025

This term we are 'Caring for Ourselves' so each week we are going to be discussing our wellbeing. Wellbeing means feeling happy, healthy, and safe in your body and mind. It’s about having good friends, getting enough sleep, eating healthy food, and doing things that make you smile. When your wellbeing is good, you feel calm, confident, and ready to learn and play. Everyone has times when they feel a bit sad or worried, and that’s okay! Talking to someone you trust, like a parent, teacher, or friend, can help you feel better. Taking care of your wellbeing helps you grow strong and enjoy life every day.

Coming back to school after the summer can be exciting for some children, but some of you may find it difficult. Try this activity so you can talk through your feelings and worries about returning to school and starting in a new class and start to think about what you might do to help you feel better.

Care

3rd September 2025

At Kingsmead, we Care for Ourselves, Care for Other People and Care for the World.

Care comes from an old English word, carian or cearian which meant to have interest or concern for something.

The dictionary definition is to:

feel concern or interest; attach importance to something.
feel affection or liking.
like or be willing to do or have something.
look after and provide for the needs of.

So, when we say 'don't care' it means the opposite. To be disinterested, dislike something or think something or someone is not important. It means not to bother looking out for yourself, others or your world.

As we return to school after the summer break, we are going to start thinking about caring for ourselves. Caring for ourselves is crucial because it supports our physical and mental health, enabling us to handle life's challenges with greater resilience and a clearer mind.