Welcome to January! What a snowy and chilly start!

I know children will be disappointed to miss their Friday and to use all of their merits for enrichment activities this afternoon. Please reassure them that we will make up for this when we can next week. Maybe time out in the snow today will go some way to make it up for them.

Children have all returned back with smiles and on the whole seem pleased to be back at school.

I thought I’d start the year sharing some information about some parts of our curriculum, starting with Lifeskills this week.

The Life Skills curriculum enables our students to build and develop important skills and qualities which support them in their understanding of the world, ability to keep safe and levels of independence. It equips pupils with knowledge, understanding, skills and strategies required to live healthy, safe, productive, capable, responsible and balanced lives. Life Skills provide pupils with opportunities to build their confidence, communication, resilience and self-esteem. Pupils will learn to recognise, accept and shape their individual identities and understand and accommodate difference and change. Essential skills for future employability are focused on through encouraging and developing positive attributes such as resilience, confidence, empathy and self-worth. Pupils engage with various opportunities to make a positive contribution to the diverse world around them in an ever-changing society. Our Life Skills curriculum aims to maximise their opportunities to experience the wider world beyond school, and to aspire to build on their independence and support them in becoming ready for life beyond Dawn House School.

From the lower school up to our 6th form children learn about friendships and relationships, about their communities, themselves and the world around them, independence skills and how to look after themselves at home. They learn about money, the world of work and how to successfully be part of a team. They take part in fitness activities, talk about personal hygiene and try out activities that they could then go on to experience safely in their communities.

Do ask your children what they enjoy in Lifeskills and what they are currently doing as this runs on a carousel so changes regularly.

In case you missed it, we made a miraculous £3000 over our Christmas events. Thank you so much for your support and for the completion of the survey about events which will come to you shortly.

You can continue to support us through the Amazon Wish List

https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/254DMG1FZMRMY?ref_=wl_share

and through buying Robin Hood Lottery tickets- many winners every week!

https://www.robinhoodlottery.co.uk/support/dawn-house-school

International Safer Internet Day

It’s the annual and international Safer Internet Day on 10th February. This year’s focus will be on the use of Artificial Intelligence (Ai) and how it can be a force for both good and bad. This comes at a time when Ai is being scrutinised more than ever with incidences such as Grok Ai creating and posting inappropriate images of children onto its own platform (Twitter/X). Many people are also concerned about the safety and accuracy of Ai content, copyright infringement and the effect Ai will have on employment in the future. Students in school will be learning how to use Ai safely and maintain a healthy awareness of its shortfalls. We will send you additional information over the next weeks about keeping safe on line.

Next week I will also share upcoming dates for the Spring Term including an invitation to join the Friends of Dawn House for a coffee and to share your fundraising ideas.

Enjoy your weekend,

Jenny

If your child leaves home in the morning a little unsettled and you want to quickly tell us, so we know to expect a tricky start to the day, a quick email (that we can follow up later) to the tutor and/or core team with ‘Handle with Care’ in the email title will ensure that we are aware.