By Mrs Cruse (Head of Years 7 and 8)

On Wednesday 29th November, Year 7 celebrated their annual Friendship Day, emphasising the importance of companionship and the value of fostering friendships. The year group engaged in discussions focusing on the universal need for friendship. They explored the attributes that constitute a strong friendship, emphasising that nurturing friendships is an ongoing effort rather than something to be taken for granted.

The day's activities also addressed the significance of responsible social media use and online safety. The students examined both the positive and negative aspects of social media, reflecting upon how they use social media.

During the early afternoon session, everyone viewed the film Ron’s Gone Wrong, which revolves around the idea of having a robot as a middle schooler's best friend—a 'best friend in a box.' the film looks at social media and how a boy and his robot discover the wonderful and messy nature of true friendship.

Later in the afternoon, students reflected on the film's message, analysing the characters' portrayal, particularly Barney's initial isolation and subsequent discovery of the true essence of friendship. His journey in understanding the value of companionship and his role in imparting this understanding to others was a central theme of the discussion.

Chiara (Year 7) said: “I found today pretty fun. I most enjoyed doing the friendship hands and watching the movie as it was sort of peaceful and quite relaxing. It gave me time to think about my different friendships and which friendship they would come under, like the person you could always talk to. I hope we can do something similar to this in Year 8. Thank you for planning today, I really enjoyed it.”

Ella (Year 7) added: “I really enjoyed the day as I collaborated with my friends, learnt new things, and had a chance to show my creativity and imagination. This was a thrilling event that showed me the meanings of friendship and the importance of friendships.”

Varsha reflected: “Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and think it was a wonderful day. The whole idea of bringing your friends together and being able to sit with your friends and watch a movie was amazing. The whole topic of the movie was really thoughtful, and I think it’s really relatable and inspirational. The different personalities and thoughts of everyone are relatable, and I think it was a very emotional, wholesome movie.”