All About Me Project

18th December 2024Website Admin

In the Autumn term, Zayit and Seorah class worked on an extended project across the two half terms. This was focused on the topic ʻAll about meʼ and was inked with learning related to our big question ʻWhat are the building blocks of me?ʼ In this project the children created our own Mr Men/Little Miss character to explore who we are as individuals and the building blocks that we need to best look after ourselves. For example, we looked at how to keep our bodies healthy, what helps us to have a healthy mind, the best ways to prepare ourselves for learning and celebrating where we are from and our cultures. The children created a range of work which was displayed in their Mr/Little Miss character books alongside a couple of class videos. We were excited to share all of the amazing learning we got to do throughout the Autumn term!

Teacher’s Reflections

“I have loved this project. I think the children really enjoyed it and have taken so much from it. In particular, the children have learnt so much about the best ways to regulate their bodies in accordance with the zones of regulation and what breaks best suit them. This has had a huge impact on the class culture as the children are now able to take themselves off independently for a classroom break away from the table if they are having a tricky moment. It has also given them a lot more fluency in how they are feeling and made them more accepting of taking a break if they need it.”

– Lucy Robinson

Students’ Reflections

“My favourite part of the project designing my own Mr Men.” – Harrison

“It was very good and we had fun.” – Seth

“I learned about about our feelings.” – Leora

View all project cards

What can I learn from my heroes Project

18th December 2024Website Admin

We looked at how we could learn from our own heroes in our lives and amazing people within our local community. We interviewed people and learned all about what made us ‘heroes’ in our modern world. We collected our very own ‘patches’ by completing various activities that involved self-reflection, meeting, and helping others within the local area.

Teacher’s Reflections

“I found this project one of the trickiest I have done since we began PBL. There was some great moments, including the interviewing skills and learning about their community, however at times it did feel like there was a bit of a stretch on what we could do to meet the curriculum targets alongside deliverables. The pupils seemed to enjoy it and have come away with great understanding around what it takes to be a ‘hero’ in many areas in life, and the traits they need in each sector.”

– Leah Wright

Students’ Reflections

“It was amazing because I got to make my own superhero comic all about me tidying up Roxbourne Park. I liked interviewing my Dad because he is smart and clever and he is my hero” – Yoni

“I learned that it is okay to make mistakes because everyone does. You have to start with the prototype and not the final product and overtime you make changes.” – Efe

“I liked that the exhibition was good because lots of people came and gave nice feedback, they told me I worked really hard. I really liked showing people my superhero badges and my moodboard. I liked that the moodboard was like a real-life Seesaw.” – AF

View all project cards

Perseverance in Action Project

18th December 2024Website Admin

This term’s in PBL project was centred around the Olympics, with a particular focus on obstacles that atheletes have had to overcome in order to achieve success. The students researched a range of Olympic and Paralympic athletes, creating biographries to better understand their journies and how they overcame adversity faced.

Other key areas we focussed on were teamwork, leadership and perserverance, which was showcased in our own ‘Mini-Olympics’ which the students planned and ran for the students of Keren and Gevurah. Some of these games involved rules that handicapped students, to provide insight into what it would be like competeing with a physical disability.

Teacher’s Reflections

“Despite some challenges, the project went quite well. The Fun Run was the clear highlight, with all participants showing resilience, determination and perserverance as they tackled the physical and mental challenge. Some students did not feel comfortable participating in the run itself, but went above and beyond to organise and manaage the event.

The biggest challenge was adequately preparing the students for a showcase that disrupted their day significantly. In addition, holding the showcase in a public space posed challenges such as interactions with the public (dogs off their leashes, other people jogging etc.) and a significant level of organisation to ensure all students were safe and enjoying themselves.

Overall, the Fun Run was a big success, but next time, we would probably need to do more work around raising money (communicating to parents, advertising to the public etc.) and ensure the weather is not so cold (ideally do it during Spring or Summer term).”

– Anthony Salerno

Students’ Reflections

“The project went well because eveyone wetn above and beyond to run the 5K
and organise it.” -Woody

“When I got the megaphone and screamed, I also loved making the posters. I felt ecstatic when I held the megaphone because I could finally feel like I was in power.” – Liam

“My highlight of the project was when we did our mini paralympics (for the first time) – specifically doing the sitting down, blindfolded volleyball because it was funny.” – Bea

View all project cards

Olympic Games Project

18th December 2024Website Admin

Our students have been working hard on a cross-curricular PBL project exploring the theme “How Can I Develop Self-Discipline in My Everyday Life?” In humanities, they researched and created Olympic timelines, while in English, they wrote detailed athlete profiles, which were later brought to life through role-played interviews. Building on this, students wrote and recorded narrative videos exploring self-discipline in sports, drawing on their own reflections and storytelling skills. The project culminated in the creation of a Vimeo channel, where their Olympic timelines, athlete interviews, and self-discipline narratives were shared a fantastic showcase of their learning, creativity, and collaboration.

Teacher’s Reflections

“The project was a great success, and it was fantastic to see students engaging so well across different subjects. A real highlight was the athlete interviews, where students brought their profiles to life and developed their confidence in presenting. I was also really proud of how they tackled the narrative videos, especially those who find writing challenging, as it gave them a chance to share their ideas creatively.

The most challenging part was keeping the project’s focus clear as students moved between subjects, and some needed extra support with the recording and editing process. Next time, I’d build in more time to practise these technical skills and allow more opportunities for peer feedback earlier on, particularly during the writing stage. That said, I wouldn’t change the collaborative and creative elements of the project, as these really helped students stay engaged and take pride in their work. Overall, it was a rewarding experience, and the final videos on the Vimeo channel were a brilliant showcase of their hard work and creativity.”

– Aymane Hamidi

Students’ Reflections

“The project taught If I’m having big emotions I can ask some one to help me and we like having good fun and I will might need some help if i need.” – Zac

“The project was great but a bit stressful when the internet was a bit funny and laggy and i almost lost my whole entire work.” – Bobby

“My highlight of the project was making my video because it was incredible and really fun. This is because it taught me a new skill of how to use stop motion which I have never used before..” – Aaron

View all project cards

Space Project

30th October 2023Website Admin

This term, we had an exciting topic of Space to explore! We looked at different planets and how the universe was made up of more than just our solar system. We thought about what and how humans survived on Earth and how we could create our own colony on Mars. We thought about what humankind needed and how we could implement this into a small space. The students used measuring and construction skills in order to create their own models of their colonies for their exhibition. We also explored art that had been inspired by the universe and created our own images focusing predominantly on tones, shading, and the different colors in the solar system. In DT, we designed and created our own rockets and researched different ways we could make them fly using different mixtures of substances and saw which one worked the best. It was a very interesting topic full of planets, space, and rockets — it was out of this world!

Teacher’s Reflections

“I’ve personally really enjoyed this project as it really allowed the students to develop and promote their independence. The students really enjoyed creating their own Mars Colonies and thought strategically about what humans would need in order to survive there. I loved their enthusiasm when it came to their ideas and how they were able to individualise their plans. The students also really enjoyed exploring how rockets launched and thinking about solutions and chemical reactions to make their rockets fly. I think moving forward the students could continue developing their independence and trying to complete activities without the constant support of adults. This could be by taking the students into different rooms so they could work in smaller groups. I feel the Critique and Feedback process really helped the students understand their next steps and supported their understanding of the PBL process.”

– Emily Bacon

Students’ Reflections

“I really liked the rockets and seeing how the Mentos and Coke made them erupt!” – Ivy

“Next time I’d really like to build something bigger.” – Yitzi

“My highlight of the project was working independently to make my Mars Colony!” – Noah

“This project helped me get new ideas for my next project.” – Jonah

View all project cards

Why Does The World Need Rainforests? Project

30th October 2023Website Admin

Tamar and Chitah travelled through the rainforest to learn about the plants, animals, and communities that lived within them. They first explored the contents of the rainforest, identifying their locations and unique characteristics. They learned about the crucial role that rainforests play in our planet and why it was important to support their preservation. This linked to their Jewish Studies by examining the formation of the State of Israel from a desert. Their primary focus was on the animals found in the rainforest and the threats they faced. Armed with this knowledge, they planned and wrote their own “Just So” stories featuring chosen rainforest animals. As they journeyed deeper into the rainforest, they researched the ecosystem and the various plant species they could encounter. They made connections to their own lives and discussed how they could help preserve the rainforest and combat the effects of climate change. Throughout their expedition, they engaged all their senses, constructing animal structures from recycled materials, sketching rainforest plants for their glossary, and creating a rainforest relaxation track. We loved inviting others to experience their immersive and sensory “Gesher Rainforest” exhibition in Summer 2 and were very proud to sell our “Just So Stories” book for charity.

Teacher’s Reflections

“I loved having a whole term as it meant we could explore lots of aspects and engage with learning in a deep and meaningful way. Highlights were learning about the animals and producing our own stories which we published. Trips to the zoo and Kew Gardens were amazing too and got the kids engaged and immersed. We also did an animal workshop which helped to launch the project in an exciting way. The children enjoyed learning how to use Canva as a way of presenting information and as a form of graphic design. I think this was my favourite project so far as it was so rich, and there was so much to engage the kids with. The termly timeline also gave us more scope to do more!”

– Sara Marshall

Students’ Reflections

“I learnt about the rainforest, the different animals that live there, and the different layers of the rainforest.” – Shimi

“My highlight of the project was making my monkey out of paper mache, wire and newspaper and then painting it.” – Ben

“My highlight was going to the Zoo and seeing all the lions!” – Omri

View all project cards

Minibeasts Project

30th October 2023Website Admin

Our project was all about minibeasts and specifically how we can live harmoniously with them. We focused on different minibeasts such as bees, worms, ants and butterflies and found out interesting facts about them. We also thought about how we could benefit from the minibeasts and what we should do to protect them. The children learnt about the minibeasts through research, exploring outside and through trips where they saw minibeasts in their environments. The children used all the information they discovered to create a collaborative minibeast information books which included their own photos of their chosen minibeast. The pupils learnt how to sort and classify minibeasts, as well as their habitats and life cycles. We grew herbs and vegetables in our outside garden and we will use these to prepared dishes for our guests at the exhibition. We also performed a song we have learnt in music.

Teacher’s Reflections

“I think this was a great project as all the children enjoyed the topic and were able to access the information and show knowledge of the facts they had learnt. The children really enjoyed the practical activities particularly when Wild Fangs came to school and they could hold and touch different minibeasts such as millipedes which they would not see very often. They also enjoyed seeing the caterpillars grow into butterflies and collecting worms to add to our class wormery which they helped to build. All the children were able to find out information on the insects we looked at such as bees, ants and ladybirds through reading information and videos and everybody was able to produce a page about their own minibeasts for the class encyclopaedia. I was pleased that we could use technology that I hadn’t used before such as Canva for their encyclopaedia pages and procreate for their drawings. I think for a similar project it would be good to be able to teach the children photography skills so they could take their own photographs of minibeasts.”

– Stephanie Sungtong

Students’ Reflections

“I found it tricky at first, but now I like holding minibeats and seeing them. The projects helped me and I liked it, When I started it I enjoyed the sensory trays and seeing all of them, and the launch activities!”

“I thought it was good, we had lots of fun and we did lots of things. We grew our own caterpillars and looked after the vegetable garden and we hunted for worms, we also released the butterflies!”

“My favourite part of the project was going to London Zoo and the Wild Fangs visit. I got to hold a big snail, and we grew butteflies!”

View all project cards

E-Safety Project

30th October 2023Website Admin

Our project focused on the importance of being safe on the internet and making people aware of different dangers that appear online. Our main focus for this project was creating an E-safety online course for both students and adults to educate themselves on digital literacy. The students also made two different types of newspaper articles that featured different E-safety issues. Students made the course fun and interactive by adding interviews, videos and quizzes.

Teacher’s Reflections

“This project was motivating, relevant and catered to students interests. Students collaborated well to make the course look visually appealing and enjoyed making different quizzes to assess learners knowledge. It was great to see students using their own knowledge and experiences as well as having debates about different topics. Time management was much better in this project but it may have been helpful for the students to see how long the course took to complete. On exhibition day, there were too many modules to get through in the allocated time. Nonetheless, exhibition day was a success and it was lovely to see students engaged and retaining information.” 

– Bethany Rentall

Students’ Reflections

“I learnt to be safe online and not to click on any links you are not sure of.”

“My highlight of the project was making a scamming slide to teach people about scamming!”

“My highlight was making the booklets for the course.”

“I learnt how to be safe online.”

As part of Gevurah’s e-Safety project, they created an interactive course to teach fellow students and staff how to be safe online. You can complete their course below!

E-safety by Gevurah Class

View all project cards

Farms Project

30th October 2023Website Admin

In the Summer term, Zayit and Seorah classes worked on their first extended project across two half terms. This was focused on our topic of ‘Farms’ and linked with learning related to our big question: ‘How can I tell a story?’ The Farm themed project enabled us to learn all about farm animals, caring for animals and animal life cycles. One aspect of this was looking after eggs and watching them hatch and grow as chicks. We also explored Scratch Junior to develop programming skills and create farm scenes. The second aspect of our project developed the children’s literacy, drama and expressive arts skills as they participated in staging a performance of ‘The Enormous Turnip’. This was an incredible show for us to share with family and friends, and involved the children acting, singing, developing their costumes and props and improving their confidence and communication with a wider range of people. The children took portraits of each other to use for the show programme and enjoyed reading and writing activities linked to a variety of farm-themed traditional tales as we built towards our performance. We had so much fun in the summer term learning all about farms and stories!

Teacher’s Reflections

“The Farms project was amazing and the children gained so much confidence, knowledge and enjoyment from it. They have matured so much throughout the year and The Enormous Turnip stage show was a highlight of the year for the children, staff and families. As part of our focus on traditional tales, the children created story maps and retold a number of different stories over the term, allowing them to build familiarity and confidence with retelling in small groups, before they started work on learning lines and songs to perform for their Gesher friends across the school and families. Everyone worked together to create costume hats and props for the show and they were all so supportive of each others’ acting and singing skills. The most challenging part of this project was developing stage directions and supporting the children to learn stage presence and be focused on performing to the audience. Luckily we had a number of weeks to focus on the show staging and we were able to enable the children to do their best performance by moving from script read throughs (using visuals), to practising staging in the classroom, then in the hall space and finally on our stage. We also had a number of dress rehearsals for other classes at Gesher, before we performed our final show for the children’s families. The Farms project was a huge success and showed that Gesher has future stars in the acting, singing and entertainment industry!”

– Leigh Kennedy

Students’ Reflections

“I really enjoyed being in the show and going to the farm to see some pigs!” – Eli

“I learned about farm animals and how to look after chicks.” – Zephania

View all project cards

Anti-Idling Project

13th June 2023Website Admin

Farmington Public Schools

Grade 5

Our fifth graders took action in collaboration with the Farmington green Efforts Commission by participating in a local anti-idiling campaign. As civic-minded contributors, this was a wonderful opportunity to engage in stewardship in our town. Students have been studying how human activities impact the Earth’s sphere, and more specifically, how the burning of fossil fuels impacts the atmosphere.

As part of this project, fifth graders collected and analysed data about idiling in the west woods parking lot before and after school. They learned more about idiling from Ms. Caitlin Stern, an enivronment analyst in the Bureau of Air Management at the Department of Energy and Environmental protection.

Next, in a special appearance on the Wildcat News, Ms. Cate Grady-Benson of the Farmington Green Efforts Commission explained the charge of their committee and its campaign. She invited students to participate in a sign-making contest to promote anti-idling in our town.

In order to learn what makes an effective sign, students used several resources, including a presentation from the West Woods art teacher, Mrs. Lantange. She offered tips and suggestions on how to think like an artist while creating designs (colours that work well together, the right medium, and excellent craftsmanship).

Eight of the signs designed by students were selected by the Green Efforts Commission. Final image edits were done by a Farmington High School students under the guidance of the art teacher. The signs will be professionally printed by DEEP and posted at each of the Farmington schools and the Town Hall.

Learning Targets

As a civic-minded contributor, I can take action to protect the Earth’s atmosphere. I can promote community awareness about idling by collaborating with the Farmington Green Efforts Commission & DEEP.

Students’ Reflections

“I think it’s good to take action because there’s things in the world that we need to stand up for. Before this unit I didn’t know about idling. I’m pretty sure even my parents didn’t, but I told my parents and they haven’t been idling ever since.”

– Jahnvi

View all project cards