Caring Eastwood pupils pull together to help others as part of 'Community Day'
Lawrence View Primary and Nursery School held a special ‘Community Day’ event on Monday (January 24), which saw pupils out and about around the town helping others.
The youngsters were encouraged to focus on their local community and reflect on their place within it.
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Hide AdSchool staff member Emma Stevenson said: “Each of the classes in the school selected a project within the local area where they felt they could help others or make a contribution to improving our community.
“We wanted to highlight amazing charities and projects who are working so hard to support people.
“Through these charity projects, we hope the children will see that they have a role to play in the wider world and that their hard work and support can benefit people beyond our school community.
“It is essential that the children feel connected and proud of their local area.”
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Hide AdFoundation stage children learned the importance of eating well and decided to support people who are struggling to do so during difficult times.
They collected and delivered donations for the local food bank, as well as producing posters to advertise the scheme to the community.
Year one students learned about toys and the importance of play for a happy childhood.
The pupils supported a charity helping Afghan refugee families by providing welcome parcels including toys, games and craft supplies. They asked for donations and personally designed each gift bag.
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Hide AdYear two looked at the local area and how it has changed over the years. They produced a series of creative art works and staged an exhibition at Eastwood Library.
Year three made links with the local community allotment and learned the importance of getting out in the fresh air to support mental health.
The children created bird feeders in school and then visited the allotment to help with clearing areas and planting seeds.
Year four held a bake sale in support of the local air ambulance service – raising almost £100, while year five pupils went out on a litter picking mission to clean up the community.
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Hide AdThe creative pupils will then use the collected rubbish to create a piece of art work, which will be displayed in the newly-refurbished Durban House when it is opened.
Emma said: “The children hope this will highlight the vital role we all can play in looking after our local area.”
The oldest pupils, in year six, worked with Eastwood People’s Initiative to learn about homelessness. They even got a small taste of harsh reality by laying on the playground with only cardboard for protection.
The youngsters asked for donations of warm clothing to support rough sleepers in the community.
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Hide AdEmma added: “The children really enjoyed the day as a whole. It was so wonderful to hear them talking about the people they were helping and taking such pride in their achievements.
“All of the classes worked so well together and achieved their goals.
“They are already talking about possible projects for next year's event.”