In case you missed it: SMSC Resources Update

In this issue we have highlighted Fairtrade fortnight to help us think about our global community and how we can all be a part of the answer. The big garden bird watch gives us an opportunity to take part in something bigger than ourselves. Social distancing is an ongoing theme into the new year, we should talk about it! A focus on Random Acts of Kindness week will brighten our lives as well as others. Scroll down for details of these and many other dates, ideas and links to resources ....

Spiritual: During 2020 we all needed the kindness of family and friends to keep our spirits up as Covid 19 changed the way we live. As 2021 begins and the virus has not yet been completely beaten, the children, families and staff in your school may need kindness even more than ever as the winter months test our resolve and challenge us. Random Acts of kindness week (17 February 2021 - 23 February 2021) offers the chance to share kindness with others in ways you may not have considered before in your classroom and school. There is a particularly lovely idea on “filling a bucket with kindness” that would work well in the classroom to help to brighten the lives of others in kind and thoughtful ways. You can find some resources here.

Moral: Fairtrade fortnight (22 February 2021 - 7 March 2021) is an opportunity to consider the needs of people across the world and support them by buying Fairtrade goods from our shops and supermarkets. Why not take this time to talk to the children in your class about the Fairtrade foundation and how it campaigns so that farmers across the world who grow crops for our food and drinks and cotton to make our clothes receive a living wage for all their hard work. Perhaps the children could find out more about where their food and clothes come from. These resources (click for details) can be used to help the children to find out more, and allows them to become familiar with the Fairtrade logo. Perhaps you could become a Fairtrade school?

Social: Social distancing has made all of life different, especially at school, and in the way we connect with family and friends. Talking to each other about the way we feel can really help when life feels challenging. Time to talk day (7 February 2021) gives teachers the opportunity to take the time to talk to their class about how mental health is just as important as physical health. The resources here give ideas and activities that allow the children to acknowledge their feelings, name them and show them how important it is to share them with a trusted person.

Cultural: Wrapping up warm and going outside is a great moral booster even in these colder months! Why not take the opportunity to go outside with your class and take part in the Big Garden Bird watch (25 January 2021 - 27 January 2021)? The RSPB are asking people to recognise, count and monitor birds that we see in our gardens, schools and parks. Why not see how many different birds can be spotted around the school vicinity and challenge the children to become bird experts in their gardens, parks and walk to school by learning the names of the different birds that they see. Resources for this can be found by clicking here.

More dates and links to help with SMSC this term...

We have identified what we think will be some great dates, together with links to helpful resources for the classroom from a variety of providers.

January 1st-31st Recycle your Christmas Cards
[resource 1]

January 4th Sir Isaac Newton's Birthday
[resource 1] [resource 2]

January 4th World Braille Day
[resource 1] [resource 2]

January 6th    Epiphany
[resource 1] [resource 2] [resource 3]

January 25th - 27th Big Garden Watch
[resource 1] [resource 2]

January 27th Holocaust Memorial Day
[resource 1] [resource 2] [resource 3] [resource 4]

January 30th - February 6th National Storytelling Week
[resource 1] [resource 2]

February 2nd Candlemas
[resource 1] [resource 2] [resource 3]

February 4th Rosa Parks Day
[resource 1]

February 7th Time to Talk Day
[resource 1]

February 11th Safer Internet Day
[resource 1] [resource 2] [resource 3]

February 12th - 28th Chinese New Year - Year of the Ox
[resource 1] [resource 2] [resource 3]

February 16th    Pancake Day/Shrove Tuesday
[resource 1] [resource 2]

February 17th - March 29th    Ash Wednesday and Lent
[resource 1] [resource 2] [resource 3] [resource 4]

February 17th - 23rd Random Acts of Kindness Week
[resource 1] [resource 2]

February 22nd - March 7th Fairtrade Fortnight
[resource 1] [resource 2] [resource 3]

February 25th - 26th Purim
[resource 1] [resource 2] [resource 3] [resource 4]

March 1st St David's Day
[resource 1] [resource 2] [resource 3] [resource 4]

March 4th World Book Day
[resource 1] [resource 2]

March 14th Mother's Day
[resource 1]

March 17th St Patrick's Day
[resource 1] [resource 2] [resource 3] [resource 4]

March 21st World Poetry Day
[resource 1] [resource 2]

March 27th - April 4th Passover
[resource 1] [resource 2] [resource 3] [resource 4]

March 28th - 29th Holi
[resource 1] [resource 2] [resource 3] [resource 4]

April 4th Easter Sunday
[resource 1] [resource 2] [resource 3] [resource 4]

Other useful for links for SMSC information
http://www.smsc.org.uk/
http://www.doingsmsc.org.uk/
https://www.youngcitizens.org/
http://www.cstg.org.uk/2014/02/smsc-provision/
https://www.thoughtboxeducation.com/
http://thelinkingnetwork.org.uk/
https://www.smscqualitymark.org.uk/
https://the-big-think.org/

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