Each class were fortunate to take part in an exciting Chinese dance workshop. During the session, pupils learned about Chinese New Year, which took place on 17 February, and explored some of the traditions associated with the celebration. The children discovered the story behind the first dragon dance and learned why masks and lanterns are an important part of the festivities. They then had the opportunity to try some traditional dance movements themselves, bringing the stories and traditions to life.

This week, pupils at St Laurence-in-Thanet CE Junior Academy enjoyed a fantastic celebration of reading as part of our World Book Day events. The week began with a special reading exchange with Ellington Infant School, where pupils from both schools visited each other to share and enjoy stories together. On Tuesday, the children took part in creative writing workshops with Wizard Stories, using music, humour and imagination to inspire their own storytelling. We were also delighted to welcome Nicci from Happy Reading Children’s Bookshop, who brought a selection of books so pupils could collect their World Book Day books and take them home. The week finished with our Pirates and Fairytales dress-up day on Thursday, with pupils and staff arriving in a wonderful range of costumes. It was a brilliant week celebrating the joy of books and reading across the school.

Our new sensory room has now been installed! It has taken a year to move from the initial idea to completion and we are delighted with the finished space. Thank you to the charities and organisations whose generous funding made this possible. Children will begin using the room from September.