Good morning everybody!
This week sees the start of our new Jigsaw theme ‘Changing Me’ and a chance to focus on the diversity that exists within our school, our communities and throughout the world.
I want you to think particularly about the word ‘unique’ and how often we see examples in nature that remind us that two things are rarely exactly the same.
One perfect example of this is the snowflake and I’ve included a short film to allow you a moment of awe and wonder at the beginning of our assembly today. The images were taken by Wilson Bentley, a Vermont farmer who became fascinated with snowflakes at a very young age and was one of the first people to photograph a snow crystal, after years of trial and error (and never giving up!). He took pictures of more than 5,000 snow crystals and drew the conclusion that no two snowflakes are alike; each one is unique. Wilson Bentley celebrated and shared the beauty and diversity of the thousands of snow crystals that he photographed so that we could appreciate them, and so that their brief existence did not go unnoticed.
Diversity, Tolerance, and Snowflakes
I wonder if we were to make a film capturing images of the children in our school, what would we notice and would we draw the same conclusion that no two children are the same; each one is unique? Have a think about the diversity that we would see in those images – hair, height, gender, eye colour, number of freckles, glasses, colour of skin … would any two children be exactly the same? What is it about you that makes you unique or special?
When we talk about diversity in school we recognise that groups and communities are always stronger when they have lots of different types of people in them. Diversity in nature also teaches us that there is beauty and strength in difference. We know that everyone should be treated fairly and with respect regardless of their gender, age, ethnicity or skin colour and we take great pleasure in recognising the things which make us similar as well as the things that make us different in order to live in harmony with each other.
However, whilst we all recognise this, sometimes in the world around us we see signs that people aren’t always treated fairly, that differences aren’t tolerated or that people make judgements about other people purely based on one unique characteristic such as their gender or the colour of their skin. The sadness and anger that this generates has been seen throughout history and can also be seen today. We have focused on some of the people who have stood up for people’s rights in these situations in our assemblies in school.
I wonder if you can remember who they are or what they were fighting for? Don’t worry if you can’t, I have included some clips in your grown-up’s notes if you want to explore their stories together. Just like you, these people recognised the importance of treating everyone fairly and that diversity should be celebrated and inequality challenged, just as it is in our school.
A story which illustrates this theme beautifully is ‘The Sneetches’ by Dr Seuss.
How did the changes that the Sneetches made make you feel as you watched them? Did they need to add or take away their stars?
The Sneetches eventually recognised that everybody should be treated equally, no matter what they look like. They realised that differences should be celebrated and that communities can live in harmony and be happier and stronger when everyone shows respect for everyone else, whether they have a star on their belly or not.
So – your task this week is to help us to celebrate the diversity that we see in our school and we are going to look for this in two places this week.
- I would like you to share with me an image or a drawing of you, which will show everyone in our community why you are ‘unique’ or ‘special’. You may want to focus on a physical feature such as your eye / hair colour or another aspect of you that makes you unique.
- I would also like you to share with me a piece of learning from this week that you are particularly proud of.
As well as focusing on the diversity that exists amongst us, this will also help us to focus on the diversity that now exists in our learning situations as some of us are now learning back in school, some of us are still learning at home and some of us are now learning in different homes as parents return to work. Wherever you are we want everyone to know that we are still all learning together and we’ll be celebrating the shared learning that is happening in all those different settings in our Celebration Assembly on Friday.
Enjoy your week, wherever you may be learning. Here’s to a celebration of diversity at the end of the week and a recognition that as agents of change we are all trying our absolute best to ensure that everyone within our community is treated with respect, fairness, care and unique Damers kindness, whatever their differences. Everyone one of us is unique and special.
I look forward to seeing some of you in school and also want those at home to know that you are in my thoughts ALL of the time and I miss you!
With warm wishes
Mrs Smith 🦋