During our first week of school, we began settling into our new classroom and getting to know one another, we shared the wonderful story The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt.

Through the colourful characters and their letters to Duncan, we explored different emotions and discussed how everyone can feel differently at different times. We thought about what it means to feel tired, frustrated, shy or misunderstood and how important it is to recognise and express our feelings.

The children shared their ideas about how we can look after ourselves when we feel overwhelmed, what helps us feel brave when we are feeling shy, and how we can work together when we disagree. We also reflected on the importance of being ourselves, celebrating our differences and making sure everyone feels valued and included in our classroom.

Just like Duncan’s final picture, our classroom is a place where everyone matters! We began thinking about the unique qualities each of us brings to our class and how, by supporting one another, we can create something truly special together.

What a lovely way to begin our school year: learning that every feeling matters, every voice deserves to be heard and everyone has their own special colour to add to our classroom masterpiece!