Classroom to Care Home

Pupils from all year groups at Dashwood Banbury Academy have been connecting with their community and getting creative to bring joy to others. Each pupil has created either a piece of artwork, a Christmas card, written letters or recorded messages to send to the residents of our local care homes.

For many years now, we have had a strong relationship with them but now, more than ever, we wanted to reach out to the most vulnerable in our society. We are a close community at Dashwood and together, we can make the difference for each other during these unprecedented times. Usually at this time of the year, we visit The Ridings Care Home for their Christmas light switch-on, sing carols together, decorate their tree with decorations made by the pupils and enjoy the company of the residents. This always brings so much joy to the residents, and, indeed, our pupils; forming intergenerational bonds. Sadly, these activities are not possible at the moment, but we were delighted to be able to still spread some joy. We realise the importance of reaching out to our older community members who are shown kindness by our pupils which is so important in relieving loneliness and anxiety. In turn, your pupils’ progress in communication, literacy and social development is supported through purposeful, mutually beneficial activities such as art and letter writing. In our recent SCARF PSHE sessions, we have been learning about the importance of connecting with others and spending time with people for our own mental well-being. Although we cannot visit the residents, we can still connect with them and share kindness; giving thought to others.

Friday 11th December, saw our Dashwood Day of Kindness. Being kind to others is important each and every day but we wanted to really focus on the importance of kindness at a time when we all need a little more of it than usual. To support their own, and others’ mental well-being, our pupils learned that by giving kindness, however small, we in-turn receive it and it is this, that helps to spread happiness.

‘Rainbows of Joy’ from our Year 1 pupils

Each resident will receive:

• Nursery/Reception pupils – Decorations
• Year 1 – Rainbow drawings
• Year 2 – Tree decorations
• Year 3 – Christmas cards from their printing projects
• Year 4 – Video message
• Year 5 – Christmas cards from their sewing projects
• Year 6 – Letters in a heart

Year 3 light switch on and quiz

On Tuesday 8th December, Year 3 pupils in Ash and Silver Birch, joined residents from The Ridings Care Home for their annual Christmas lights swtich-on. Normally, we visit the care home to sing Christmas carols and share decorations that we have made to decorate their tree. Of course, this has not been possible this year but we used the wonders of technology for a virtual meet up where our pupils played a Christmas Quiz and chatted to the residents. Children loved the Christmas Light switch on and to see their decorations hanging on the care home’s tree.

We received this lovely message from The Ridings:

Thank you so much for taking part in the virtual Christmas lights switch on. The residents did really enjoy it and it was fantastic that two classes were able to participate with us. Very different from our usual celebrations we normally share with you, though equally as important for our residents that we try and adapt during these times, so they feel connected with their community. 

The decorations were perfect for our trees!