BY CARLOTTA AND JESSIE

This week (March 18) has been Neurodiversity Week. This week happens so we can celebrate, understand and better support these children who have neurodiverse needs.

As we came into school on Monday we were greeted with some colourful, fun and interesting cartoon-like exercises all over our corridors on the floors and walls. They covered both floors of JKPS. Rumour has it…. Ms. Georgia was sticking them down until 9pm on Friday night, on her birthday weekend!

The children were excited and immediately trying to complete them! Later that day, we realised that these are made for those children with neurodiverse needs to take more exciting and independent movement breaks. However, we were also informed that children without any needs can do the exercises and have movement breaks too when used properly.

What are movement breaks? Well, movement breaks are body and brain relaxation tools. They are especially helpful with regulating your emotions to prepare you for learning and your work ahead.

Next up, in our classes we had discussions around what counts as a neurodiversity and talked about it being things such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, autism, ADHD, tourettes syndrome. But we also learnt that it can include children who have disability needs such as deaf, blindness or are in need of wheelchair access.

On Thursday, very bravely Jessie in Year 5 – and a member of our Mog Chronicle team – spoke in assembly and shared with everyone information about her neurodiversity. She even gave words of advice to teachers: Make work more interesting for us..! And for friends she told us you should be understanding and not judge them on their ability to do certain things. We have interviewed her about Neurodiversity Week and what it was like to give a whole school assembly.

Mog: What is your favourite subject?
Jessie: PE and Art
Mog: What lesson do you find most tricky?
Jessie: Would spelling count as a subject… then that!
Mog: What do you think about Neurodiversity Week?
Jessie: I enjoyed it because it is a time when people talk more about it. They share if they have a need. They talk about it when they wouldn’t usually. It’s sociable and really fun.
Mog: What do you think about the movement pathways in the corridors?
Jessie: I like the corridors however sometimes I see people messing around them. Ms Georgia spent ages setting them up and they need to use them properly. Children need to be using them in the correct way to calm down at the end of the pathway… not do races and peel off the stickers!
Mog: Were you feeling nervous about the assembly?
Jessie: YES I WAS! But when I saw the reception children’s faces they made me laugh and I thought: “Let’s get on with it.” Plus all my friends were giving me pep talks. They said things like: “Who cares what anyone else thinks about you?” and “You’ll still get green tokens!”

Well done to Jessie and all the other children who have been sharing their own neurodiversities within their classrooms. We think they are all outstanding, they think outside the box, are full of creativity and make us super joyful at JKPS.