Last week we celebrated Refugee Week. The theme this year was “Our Home”. The children started the week by exploring what ‘Home’ means to them.
Each year group was introduced the idea of ‘refugee’ thorough an age-appropriate story. Year 1 imagined what they would take in a rucksack if they had to leave their home, Year 3 wrote a diary entry imagining themselves being a refugee.
The children amazed us with their kindness and generosity when they told us how we can make refugees feel welcome. Reception children drew pictures to welcome children to Archibald and Year 2 wrote in hearts about how they would help them feel welcome. Year 4 wrote a letter to our local MP explaining why it is important to support refugees.
We were also very lucky to have some visitors into school. Dr Helen King, researcher in children’s literature and Lily Kroese, artist and illustrator, came in to do a workshop with Years 3 and 4. The workshop was based on the children’s book ‘New Home’, which tells the story of a brother and sister who come to the Northeast seeking sanctuary. Their mother knits them a scarf to keep warm. The children were then asked ‘what would you like to tell these characters?’ They drew and wrote their responses on fabric which is going to be made into their very own scarf.
Year 2 were visited by Mrs Mesgarnezhad who spoke to the children about injustice and how we can help refugees feel welcome. She then helped us create a beautiful rainbow from hand prints with messages of welcome.
Finally, inspired by the Moving parts Arts project ‘City of Kittiwakes’ every year group created their own kittiwakes. The kittiwake is used as a symbol for migration and sanctuary here in Newcastle. Kittiwakes nest under the Tyne Bridge and on the Baltic, making it the largest inland colony of kittiwakes in the world.
Wow what an amazing week!
